Edinburgh Rugby head coach Rob Moffat has been fired, with the club having won only two of their last eight games and struggling to reach the Magners League play-offs.
Assistant Nick Scrivener takes the reins until the end of the season.
The move has long been rumoured within Murrayfield and the timing may be significant with Edinburgh about to face a three-match run of games away from home during the duration of the RBS Six Nations, winning away from Murrayfield proving to be a significant factor in Moffat’s removal.
Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie thanked the former Melrose and Borders coach for his “significant efforts” in developing Edinburgh Rugby, both as head coach and assistant under Andy Robinson before the Englishman moved to the Scotland job in June 2009.
“Clearly, we were all disappointed at the end of last season, when Edinburgh were unsuccessful in their bid to reach the Magners League play-offs, and results this season have not been as we would have hoped for.
“Rob is equally disappointed with these outcomes as he has always given the club his total and absolute commitment, and acted with great dignity and professionalism.
“He is rightly held in great affection by Edinburgh and Scottish rugby fans and it is with a degree of regret that we make today’s announcement.
“However, as we are now in the middle of the season, we need to look ahead. We will therefore advertise the role, to find a coach who will help us restore Edinburgh to more regular winning ways.
“On behalf of Edinburgh and Scottish Rugby, I have thanked Rob for his hard work and dedication, and have asked him to take a short break.
“Upon his return, we will discuss the potential to agree a different role for Rob elsewhere in Scottish Rugby.”FrustratedEdinburgh Rugby’s chief executive Craig Docherty said, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Rob and I know that no one has been more frustrated than him at some of our results this season.
“He has great respect across the rugby community having been involved in a variety of roles at all levels of the game.
“Looking ahead, I believe that Nick will offer the required continuity, having been at the club for 18 months.
“I very much look forward to seeing the players respond, and to working with him to ensure the club progresses in the Magners League.”
The Australian Scrivener, who previously coached his native country’s A team and the ACT Brumbies, is being described as “interim head coach.”
“I am very much looking forward to the challenge of taking the team forward and I will doing everything I can to bring success to Edinburgh Rugby in the second half of the season,” he said.
Moffat coached Melrose to Scottish club titles and was an assistant at the Borders before moving to Edinburgh when it was under private ownership prior to 2007, when the club returned to SRU control and Robinson was appointed head coach.
Edinburgh finished second in the Magners League under Robinson and when he left for Scotland Moffat moved up to the top job, beginning his tenure with three successive wins, two away from home at Cardiff and Ulster.
For his first six months Edinburgh were among the Magners League leaders and the club had a decent Heineken Cup campaign, winning all of their three home matches against top opposition in Stade Francais, Bath and Ulster.
However, by the end of the season a run of four successive defeats sent them tumbling out of the Magners League play-offs, and last year the club won only one away game, at newly-established Italian club Aironi.
This season the club’s strong form at Murrayfield has also slipped, and Edinburgh have won only twice in their last eight games in their home leg of the 1872 Cup and in the Heineken Cup against Castres.
Moffat has also come under increasing criticism for his policy of rotating players, particularly in the back row where the team have rarely featured the same three players week to week.
Close season signings Esteban Lozada and Nefani Talei have only intermittently featured, and the win of a Scotland A packed with Edinburgh players against a strong Irish Wolfhounds team at Galashiels last week under Scrivener’s charge was probably the signal for the SRU hierarchy to make their long-rumoured move to oust Moffat.