Ansbro puts World Cup woe aside for London Irish

SCOTLAND centre Joe Ansbro is ready to put his World Cup disappointment aside by helping his new London Irish mates launch their LV tournament campaign in style.

The centre, who figured in the dramatic defeat by England in the final pool encounter in Auckland, makes his debut for the club in Saturday’s derby clash with Harlequins at The Stoop.

And Irish supremo Toby Booth is expecting Ansbro – who moved from Northampton Saints on a three-year deal – to make an instant impact.

He said: “Joe was with us for a couple of weeks before going off to the World Cup with Scotland.

“He has come back in good shape and we are looking forward to seeing him in action at the weekend.

“The LV Cup will provide an opportunity for getting our World Cup people up to speed, drip-feeding them in.

“It’s a competition we’re taking seriously and we want to put our best foot forward because we’ve got good momentum and we want to keep it.

“Joe’s versatility on the field makes him a valuable asset to have on board and further boosts our strength in depth.

“He’s quick, powerful with a great future ahead and will fit in nicely.”

Ansbro said: “I loved my time at Northampton and I thank them for what they did for me.

“However it is time for a new challenge at London Irish and I am very much looking forward to it.

“Toby has a terrific coaching record at Irish and is someone I look forward to working with.”

Ansbro played twice at the World Cup, in the opening game against Romania in which he scored a try, and in the final match against England at Eden park, where he started at centre but had to move to the wing after an injury to Max Evans.