Replacement found.

Ulster are set to announce Scotland assistant coach Dan McFarland as their new head coach after the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) confirmed he will depart his current role in mid-January of 2019.

McFarland knows Irish Rugby all too well, having spent 15 years at Connacht, six as a prop and nine as an assistant coach, as well as stints with the Irish U20s and Wolfhound sides.

The SRU say McFarland will serve a nine-month notice period before leaving his job as assistant to head coach Gregor Townsend in order “to take on a head coach opportunity.”

“Scotland Assistant Coach Dan McFarland will leave the national team set-up mid-January to take on a Head Coach opportunity.” an SRU statement read.

McFarland, who joined the Scotland coaching team from Glasgow Warriors in 2017, will remain in post for a nine-month notice period as the recruitment process for his replacement gets underway.

Former Scotland back-row and current Worcester Warriors Head Coach, Carl Hogg, has been added to the national team coaching set-up on an interim basis.

He will share forwards-coaching duties with McFarland on the 2018 Summer Tour to Canada, USA and Argentina.”

The 46-year-old has been heavily linked with the role in recent days, with Ulster operations director Bryn Cunningham revealing over the weekend that the northern province have found their new head coach.

Cunningham said they are unable to name the new coach for several weeks, for reasons he would not go into. But it now appears those reasons are him still being under contract with the SRU.