Scotland and Ireland yesterday combined to sink the former England captain Bill Beaumont's ambition of chairing the influential Six Nations committee with the post being filled by a Frenchman for the first time.

Beaumont already had the support of Wales while Italy were backing Jacques Laurans, the vice-president of the French Rugby Federation. Scotland and Ireland had not made their positions clear, though the Scots had raised concerns about England's stand-alone bid to host the 2007 World Cup.

The Celtic unions and England have not enjoyed the most cordial of relationships since the Rugby Football Union brokered its own Five Nations television deal in 1997, while Wales fell out with the French during the 1999 World Cup in a dispute over hospitality boxes.

England and France will next November contest the right to stage the 2007 World Cup and yesterday's vote is an indication that Twickenham will need the support of the major southern hemisphere nations if it is to prevail.

"I am disappointed not to have been elected as chairman, but I will give Jacques my full support during his term of office," said Beaumont, one of the Rugby Football Union's two representatives on the International Rugby Board.

Laurans, who will serve a three-year term, replaced Allan Hosie who stood down after being appointed the president of the Scottish Rugby Union. "I look forward to working with Bill Beaumont in the years ahead," said Laurans, the treasurer of the International Rugby Board and a director of Rugby World Cup, two bodies with which the Welsh Rugby Union does not have the healthiest of relationships.

The Northampton lock Mark Connors is threatening legal action against Bath after his proposed contract with the west country club was terminated earlier this summer. The former Australia international, who will make his debut for the Saints against Newcastle on Saturday, would have earned a reported £300,000 over two years with Bath. Bath are due to play at Franklin's Gardens on September 21.

"We have written to Bath and had a reply," said Owen Eastwood, Connors's solicitor. "It was not satisfactory: they have attempted to take the moral high ground and Mark has to decide whether to maintain dialogue with the club or issue proceedings in the appropriate court."

Bath's England centre Mike Catt hopes to play at Saracens on Sunday, seven months after he underwent shoulder surgery. Bath expect their other injured internationals, Mike Tindall and Gareth Cooper to make their first appearances of the season.