Dave Walder was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle on Thursday, but it appears he is already being lined up for his next job.
The Falcons announced Walder would be leaving at the end of the season, ending months of speculation about his future in the North East.
Blindside understands there had been disagreements over transfer policy and that he failed to meet a deadline to sign a new deal.
Former England fly-half Walder, 44, had been linked with a role at Harlequins if Nick Evans’s temporary secondment to England became permanent this summer, but now Bristol are favourites to land him.
The Falcons have stepped up their search for a replacement and have been linked with Rory Teague, who is leaving Racing 92 in the summer, while Mark Wilson could be a dark horse.
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