Gloucester Rugby have confirmed the departure of head coach Johan Ackermann, he will leave for Japanese club NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes.
The former South Africa lock took charge of the West Country club ahead of the 2017-18 season and guided them to the Premiership play-offs last year.
However, Gloucester are ninth in the league with just four wins from 13 games and it's understood that players have expressed concerns about the current regime to the club hierarchy.
Here are four possible replacements for the South African:
1. Stuart Lancaster
Following England’s Rugby World Cup failure in 2015, Lancaster has begun to re-establish himself as a top coach since joining Leinster.
There is no need for him to leave the Irish, where he is having a very enjoyable and successful stint, but increased responsibility at one of English rugby’s biggest clubs?
If Gloucester are willing to meet the compensation requirement to buy him out of his current contract, it must be a tempting proposition.
2. Richard Cockerill
The former Leicester head coach arrived at Edinburgh on a two-year deal in 2017 and signed a two-year extension before his first season was finished.
The former England international has made a major impact, leading Edinburgh to three European quarter-finals with this season’s campaign unfinished, and guiding them to top spot in Guinness PRO14 Conference B before the coronavirus pandemic forced a suspension of play.
This would be a fantastic appointment.
3. Dai Young
The Welshman is on the hunt for a new role after leaving Wasps earlier this season.
Captained Wales at rugby union and league and cut his teeth as a coach with Cardiff Blues, eventually guiding them to Anglo-Welsh Cup with a thrashing of Gloucester at Twickenham and European Challenge Cup glory by beating Jonny Wilkinson’s star-studded Toulon in Marseilles.
Quit the Blues the following year for Wasps and had done a decent job of turning them into a team challenging for top honours after overcoming a financial crisis by moving to Coventry.
4. Rob Howley
The 49-year-old is serving a ban for placing bets on more than 1,000 rugby matches over four years in breach of the game's regulations. However, he could come into contention when his suspension ends in June 2020.
As well as acting as Gatland's assistant with Wales, Howley took over the head coach role when the New Zealander was in charge of the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017 - guiding Wales to the Six Nations title in 2013.
As a player he won 59 Wales caps and played in two Lions Tests.
