Gloucester Rugby Director of Rugby George Skivington expressed frustration over missed opportunities after his team’s 41-26 win against Northampton Saints on Saturday, a victory that ultimately wasn’t enough to secure a place in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs.
Despite a strong and spirited performance at a packed Kingsholm Stadium, the Cherry and Whites finished fifth, just two points behind Sale Sharks and Bristol Bears, who clinched semi-final spots with wins on the final day. Sale and Bristol will face Leicester Tigers and Bath, respectively, in the semi-finals.
Gloucester’s teenage winger Jack Cotgreave stole the spotlight with a hat-trick of tries, supported by Christian Wade’s two tries, as well as scoring efforts from Seb Atkinson and Tomos Williams. Santiago Carreras contributed with three conversions. Northampton, despite rotating 14 players from their recent Champions Cup final appearance, fought back resiliently and earned a bonus point with tries from Tom Pearson, Tom Litchfield, Jonny Weimann, and Iakopo Mapu.
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Reflecting on the match, Skivington said, “It wasn’t our best performance today, but we got the job done. We started with a bold approach that initially played into their hands, but we responded by adding physicality to secure the win. However, it wasn’t enough to reach the play-offs.”
He pinpointed missed opportunities in two critical away games during the season: “The fixtures against Saracens and Harlequins stand out. We were poor on both occasions and needed to take points from those games. Ultimately, those matches cost us.”
Northampton Saints’ Director of Rugby Phil Dowson also expressed disappointment as his team finished eighth. “We aimed to make a strong defense of our title, but it wasn’t to be. Injuries, international call-ups, and losing experienced forwards have all impacted our season,” he said.