Northampton have sacked their South African director of rugby Alan Solomons after the side’s eighth straight league defeat against Worcester left them just one point off the bottom of the Premiership table.
A group of players and some of the coaching staff will now take temporary charge of first-team affairs.
”Alan is a great coach but for whatever reason it has not worked out,” said Saints chairperson Keith Barwell.
Solomons arrived at Northampton from Ulster at the end of last season to replace Wayne Smith.
But he has struggled to find the success he had in South Africa and Ireland.
”The board feel it is now the appropriate time to make a change in the coaching structure,” added Barwell.
”Saints now need to look within themselves but the club will be combing the world for another head coach.
”However, the ideal would be that our new temporary coaching set-up works out.”
Alan Solomons signed up as Northampton Saints new head coach after Smith went back home to New Zealand and the All Blacks.
He spent three years at Ulster following another three years as the Springboks assistant coach to Nick Mallet. The pair led South Africa to Tri-Nations victory in 1998 and to a joint record of 17 consecutive Test victories.
Before his time with the Springboks, Solomons was head coach of the Super 12 side the Stormers and Currie Cup club, Western Province. – Sapa-AFP