Wasps reach Melville deal with Gloucester

London Wasps have arranged a new date for their Zurich Premiership clash with Gloucester to allow Nigel Melville, their former director of rugby, to link up earlier than expected with the West Country club.

Melville has agreed a four-year deal with Gloucester after spending six years with Wasps during which the club won the league and cup (twice). The postponed Gloucester game was scheduled for May, but the Rugby Football Union have agreed to a switch to 9 April.

Part of the agreement between Gloucester chairman Tom Walkinshaw and Wasps is that he takes no part when the two clubs meet. "He will have a week off, he won't be in the dugout," said Walkinshaw. "It's a reasonable agreement." Melville, who ended his six years at Wasps by walking out last week after hinting that the Gloucester job interested him, said today: "Wasps are moving to a new ground, we'd had four changes of training ground and two stadiums in my time there.

"There were a lot of other problems and I was getting drawn into all those things. I would like to focus totally on the rugby. If I am to progress this is the place to be."

Lawrence Dallaglio, the Wasps captain, insisted his club had tried to help Melville rather than hinder his departure. He said: "We actually suggested a date of 12 March but Gloucester weren't able to agree that one.

"Nigel will always be welcome at Wasps and any reports to the contrary are wrong."