Two big-name players are on the verge of signing for the Kilmarnock Falcons in a coaching capacity.

A meeting was held last night at Kilmarnock Rugby Club to secure two internationalists for the ambitious Bellsland outfit. Both Shade Munro and Greg Oliver have been approached to look after the team as coaches.

Kilmarnock president Brian Rowlands said: ''I hope to be able to announce soon that both of these players can help us at the club. Certainly, I think we can finalise matters this week.''

Munro has had to accept that a career at second row is over. He had two spells in New Zealand, where he was highly rated, played for GHK and Scotland, and it may be that he will decide to return to New Zealand this summer to learn more about the coaching side.

Oliver was one of Hawick's favourite sons and was capped at scrum half. The move should give the club more strength as they push for upward movement.

qA message for all young aspiring players of any sport this.

When I was a civil engineer, building the odd bridge, and putting roads in the wrong place by several feet, we had a nipper on our sites called George ''Whitey'' McNeil. He was a character and a half, with a chest of stories you wouldn't believe.

However, he also told us of a little lad in his town of Wishaw, a nephew of his I think, who used to take a snooker cue to bed with him every night. This wee boy practised all of the time, and loved the game.

That wee boy just happens to have been John Higgins, now snooker world champion and world No.1. As he picked up his cheque for more than two hundred thousand quid at the weekend, I couldn't help but congratulate him - and, at the same time, I wished I'd taken a few more things to bed when I was younger myself.

qA strange tale of cloth and skin and bone graces the pages this morning.

Anyway, a story reaches us of a Stewartry player called Andrew McConnell, who is a popular big second row chappie, but young as well. I am reliably informed by someone within the club who has to remain nameless, okay it was Adam Gray, that the club had to play a recent game against Musselburgh, which was blessed with the presence of panel referee Jim Fleming.

It was a very uneventful start, where straight from the kick-off the ball went into touch, ensuring that a lineout was to follow quickly. As the players gathered, Fleming gave his first order of the day. ''Okay, jumpers in first,'' he shouted clearly.

Whereupon both sides were astonished to see that young Andrew McConnell, struggling to comprehend what he had just heard, began to tuck his rugby jersey into his shorts as methodically as possible. Nice to see that the youth of today take such tidiness seriously.

qBy the way, we on this diary just want to congratulate John Low of Stewartry on playing for the firsts on Saturday, the day after the club dinner.

He is 51 years old, and there was a certain symmetry as his club lost 101-15 to Glenrothes. Low, according to witnesses, looks like Moses, but wasn't able to lead his team to better pastures. They were stuffed, and the only thing that parted was the scrummage - under pressure.