Tyson Keats: At the centre of the investigation

London Welsh are set to resume Premiership action on Saturday without knowing the result of their appeal against a five-point deduction.

Although the appeal hearing was held in London on Thursday, a three-man panel chaired by Gareth Rees QC is still considering its decision.

It is understood the outcome of the club's appeal will be made public early next week.

London Welsh appealed the five-point deduction, a £15,000 fine and further five-point penalty suspended until the end of next season that was imposed by a panel of inquiry earlier this month.

It followed the appearance of scrum-half Tyson Keats in 10 Premiership games this season when he was ineligible.

New Zealand-born Keats was working illegally because he did not have the correct visa.

Mike Scott, the club's former team manager, had made a mistake when he applied for Keats' ancestry visa and instead of re-submitting the forms he attempted to cover it up.

Scott told the club that a visa had been granted and he submitted false documents to the Rugby Football Union, including a forged passport, in a bid to pass Keats off as having been born in England.

Scott was subsequently banned for life by the RFU.

London Welsh visit Gloucester on Saturday, now two points adrift at the Premiership basement behind Sale Sharks with five games left.

Captain Jonathan Mills insists the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over the club will only serve to galvanise the squad.

"We are at the bottom of the table now and that's not because of how we played rugby," Mills said.

"As players we feel we are good enough to be in this league. We are better than the bottom of the league and we feel we should be above that.

"Things have gone against us in the past and it has brought the best out of us. We just have to go out and prove it again.

"We are a close-knit side and it does give that extra motivation to want to want to prove people wrong. We want to take it head on and try to make sure we get out of it."