Nick Mallett is a front-runner for the post © Getty Images

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Following the sacking of Gloucester boss Nigel Davies on Monday, Scrum Sevens looks at who the front-runners are to take over at the Cherry and Whites.

Nick Mallett

He has already been linked for the role in the Daily Telegraph and Gloucester's local paper the Citizen and would be a great choice. Following a season where Gloucester's pack has struggled, Mallett, who helped nurture the ferocity of Italy's forwards during his time there, is the ideal candidate to get some fire back into Kingsholm.

He is currently working for SuperSport in South Africa as a pundit but after failing to get the England job a couple of years back, you expect he would be keen to return to coaching and a trip to Europe, where he coached Stade Francais from 2000-04, could appeal.

Lyn Jones and Kingsley Jones

Press Association claims this Welsh duo are in the running. Lyn is a former coach of the Ospreys and London Welsh and can currently be found at the Dragons alongside Kingsley, who worked alongside him at Welsh and has also spent time at Sale.

At London Welsh, Lyn Jones received plenty of plaudits for the fight he installed into the team during heir season in the Premiership. Despite being granted admission to England's top table at the last minute, they did not roll over in the manner expected.

Dean Richards

He was previously linked with the role but seems happy at Newcastle. Similar to Mallett, he would bring some fighting spirit back to Gloucester and would help reinvigorate their pack. He would bring a wealth of experience to the role having coached Leicester, Harlequins and the Falcons but despite reported overtures in the past for his services, Newcastle would battle to keep their man.

Wayne Smith

He is currently at the Chiefs in New Zealand but has been linked by Press Association. Smith would earn immediate respect at Gloucester as he was a key cog in the 2011 World Cup-winning management team of Graham Henry. He also knows the Premiership well having coached Northampton Saints between 2001 and 2004.

Could Olivier Azam lead Gloucester back to the top of the Premiership? © Getty Images

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Olivier Azam

An outside shot for the job but no one knows Kingsholm better than the old French hooker. After leaving Gloucester in 2011, having spent seven years at the club, he journeyed to Toulon as their forwards coach and then left to join Lyon where he helped them gain promotion back to the Top 14 this term. It would be a big step up from his current role into the director of rugby post but Gloucester may opt to go back to good old fashion passion when it comes to picking a new coach.

Dai Young

On the face of it, Young is the perfect fit for Gloucester. He knows what it takes to get a forward pack firing, he knows the British and Irish domestic scene inside out and has experience of taking charge of a big club in difficult times, having managed to keep Wasps in the Premiership when all signs pointed towards them going bankrupt. But Young is rebuilding Wasps and although he was linked with the Gloucester job when Davies was first appointed, this would be a surprise if he swapped Adams Park for Kingsholm.

Mike Tindall

Tindall looks set to be imminently retiring from professional rugby but after a season where he worked as Gloucester's backs coach, the players know him so he could hit the ground running. His lack of experience in the off-field roles of being a director of rugby could count against him.