THE DEPARTURE OF Mark Anscombe from Ulster, despite the Kiwi having a year left on his contract, came as a surprise to many in Irish rugby circles.
With Director of Rugby David Humphreys also having left the province recently, the decision to remove Anscombe from the head coaching position has seen some fans voice concern at the major upheaval as the 2014/15 pre-season schedule gets underway.
Unsurprisingly, Anscombe’s son Gareth, a fullback with the Chiefs in New Zealand, is disappointed for his father. More unexpectedly, the 23-year-old has decided to share his feelings on Twitter, labelling Ulster’s decision-makers ‘clowns’.
The fact that Anscombe was a Humphreys’ appointment lends some sense to Ulster’s decision to remove the former New Zealand U20s coach. Word that several senior players were unhappy with the Kiwi’s coaching style and philosophies offers a further hint as to why the northern province have acted so swiftly.