Gloucester's director of rugby Nigel Melville is likely to escape disciplinary action by Twickenham for criticising the referee Ashley Rowden after his side's crushing defeat at his former club Wasps on Wednesday night.

Melville's fellow England Under-21 coach Dean Ryan was banned from the touchline for a month and fined at the end of last year for making critical comments about the referee after Bristol's draw with London Irish last September.

Rowden sent off two players for fighting on Wednesday and Melville accused him of having "no control over the match" and added that the official was "very poor for both sides" in a game won 44-9 by Wasps. The Rugby Football Union last night said the referee had not mentioned Melville's remarks in his report of the match.

The players who were sent off, Gloucester's centre Robert Todd and the Wasps flanker Paul Volley, have been summoned to appear before a disciplinary panel in Coventry next Tuesday. The RFU is keen to deal speedily with discipli nary matters after criticism of the way the Martin Johnson affair was dragged out earlier this year.

The New Zealand union is also working in haste and lobbying other unions for support as it attempts to regain its role as sub-host for next year's World Cup at a meeting of the International Rugby Board in Dublin next week.

The IRB's long search for a chief executive ended yesterday when Mike Miller, the former controller of BBC television sport, was appointed to succeed Stephen Baines, who left 18 months ago. The board has also hired the former Australia fly-half Michael Lynagh to develop and promote the sport on a global level.

Northampton's redevelopment of Franklin's Gardens will be completed by the start of next season with a 13,500 capacity; enough to accommodate the supporters of Wimbledon FC, who have been linked with a move to the ground. Northampton yesterday said they had had no contact with the Dons - who are currently playing at Crystal Palace, though their chairman wants to relocate to Milton Keynes - and there was no prospect of a ground share.

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