Laurie Fisher leaves Gloucester 48 hours after posting his own exit on Twitter

Gloucester head coach Laurie Fisher has left the Premiership side, two days after he appeared to confirm his own departure on social media 48 hours before the club’s announcement.

Fisher posted on his Twitter account “time to make room for someone else” on Saturday night shortly after Gloucester’s 30-27 loss to Harlequins, in which the Cherry and Whites conceded 15 unanswered points in the last eight minutes to suffer a tenth defeat of the Premiership season and remain ninth in the table.

After the defeat, Australian Fisher posted on Twitter: "Unbelievable capitulation. Clearly not good enough. My responsibility. Time to make room for someone else."

Gloucester waited until Monday night before releasing a statement to confirm Fisher’s departure. The statement read: "Fisher met with club officials over the past 48 hours, and it was mutually agreed that he would leave his position.

"Gloucester Rugby would like to place on record its thanks for Laurie's hard work and commitment during his time at the club, and would like to wish him well in his future endeavours.

"The club will be making no further comment on the matter."

Fisher ends his three-year stay at Kingsholm having guided the club to the European Challenge Cup in 2015, but the club’s form in the Premiership during his tenure has not been one to drag about and he leaves the side, which will be led by director of rugby David Humpreys, 13 points off the top four play-off places.

They sit nine points off sixth place with just five league games remaining, meaning that a European Champions Cup spot looks beyond them unless they can end the year with a flourish, and may have to cope without the services of New Zealand prop John Afoa after he was cited for a dangerous tackle on Harlequins fly-half Tim Swiel.