Take knowhow accrued over after a long and sometimes highly successful coaching career, then add in the energy of one seeking to make his way in the world, and it could be a potent mix.

That, at least, is the hope of all involved in bringing together the new coaching partnership of old stager Alan Solomons and callow assistant Stevie Scott that has been charged with reinvigorating an Edinburgh team that has been in decline for years.

All evidence now suggests that Andy Robinson perfectly timed his move from club to country when seeking to extend his stay in Scotland back in 2009 after a season and half with the club.

Under his stewardship they finished fourth in what was then the Magners League in 2007/08 and 2008/09, persuading the then SRU top brass to appoint him to the Scotland head coach's job.

The performance of both Edinburgh and Scotland in major competition since then could hardly have been more dismal with the solitary exception of the club's Heineken Cup run in 2011/12 which, with hindsight, seems to have disguised a multitude of problems and an 11th-placed finish in the league perhaps offered a fairer reflection of where things were.

That impression was reinforced by their contribution to Scotland's worst ever combined European campaign last season and a 10th-placed league finish, their final position boosted by the three wins in five matches registered under the interim coaching team of Scott and Duncan Hodge.

Clearly an overhaul of the organisation was required on and off the field and it began in April with the appointment of David Davies, the former Queen's Park Rangers and London Wasps chief executive, as managing director.

He admitted at that point that finding the right men to coach the side, and reshaping the playing squad, were priorities and while it is surprising that it has taken so long to name the head coach, particularly when Solomons' name has been bandied about for some time, it seems reasonable to presume that means that due diligence has been done on both sides.

That means the SRU must be convinced that in spite of Solomons' age and track record of not staying in any post for any great length of time, his understanding of creating successful competitive environments makes him the ideal trouble-shooter to employ at this point in the club's development.

He certainly has a great deal to draw upon, having been an assistant coach with Nick Mallett's then almost unstoppable Springboks side in the late nineties, worked with many of the biggest names in the world game as the Barbarians head coach, and operated as a head coach at elite level in both hemispheres, while his time as an IRB performance consultant means he should have a strong understanding of the talent pool available from the emerging nations.

Similarly, Solomons appears, going by his comments on his new position yesterday, to have liked what he saw when assessing the task confronting him and the prospect of working with Scott.

"This is a very exciting role at a club which has a huge amount of potential," he said.

"The ambition and desire of everyone involved with the club to do whatever it takes to build its success, and the plans being put in place to achieve that, are very impressive.

"I'm very much looking forward to arriving in Edinburgh, teaming up with Stevie and meeting the challenges head on."

For his part Scott had harboured hopes of taking over as head coach on a full-time basis after the upturn in their form that occurred after he took over for the last five matches of the season. But any disappointment he felt has clearly been set aside as he relishes this opportunity as forwards coach, a role he previously filled at English club Sale Sharks.

"I'm delighted to extend my term with Edinburgh Rugby, a team which I have a long association with and a huge amount of passion for," said the club's former hooker.

"I'm looking forward to building on the work done since the tail end of last season with a highly experienced coach.

"We'll put everything into getting this club back into a position we can all be proud of."

Solomons is favourably remembered within the Celtic rugby community as an intelligent and pleasant individual who did well with Ulster as they sought to build on their Heineken Cup success in 1999, while Scott is a popular figure in the Scottish game who impressed and surprised more than a few with his handling of the club at the end of last season.

They will consequently set out with considerable goodwill, for all that they will, of course, be hostage to results rather than fortune.