Poor results have forced the retirement of Edinburgh coach.
Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley has left his post with immediate effect following a dreadful run of results, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) has announced.
Former Ireland scrum-half Bradley had been due to depart the capital club in May, after the end of the season, but the SRU said both he and assistant Neil Back, a World Cup-winner as a player with England in 2003, were exiting with immediate effect after a run of seven straight Celtic League defeats.
Scotland assistant coaches Stevie Scott and Duncan Hodge have been placed in interim charge.
Bradley led Edinburgh to the European Cup semi-finals last season but they suffered six defeats in this term’s tournament, scoring just 36 points in the process.
Formerly a director of rugby at Irish province Connacht, Bradley was informed last month his two-year deal would not be renewed.
Scott and Hodge will assume their roles after the Six Nations campaign ends, with Edinburgh not in action again until hosting Ulster on March 22.
SRU chief executive Mark Dodson said in a statement on Wednesday: “We feel this move is necessary to give a fresh impetus to the squad going into the remainder of the season.
“Our search for a new coaching team for Edinburgh Rugby continues, with a view to getting the club back on a winning track.”
Scotland now only has two full-time professional clubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow. But despite Edinburgh’s problems, Scotland, under Australian caretaker coach Scott Johnson, have recently won back-to-back Six Nations matches for the first time since 2001 and are still in title contention ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Wales at Murrayfield.
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