Gloucester Rugby director George Skivington expressed pride in his team’s performance despite a narrow 30-26 loss to Bath Rugby at Kingsholm. The reigning Gallagher Premiership champions reclaimed top spot in the league, overcoming a 14-point deficit with fly-half Finn Russell kicking two late penalties to seal the win.
Bath’s head coach Johann van Graan praised the impact of his strong replacements bench, which included five England internationals—Beno Obano, Charlie Ewels, Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill, and Henry Arundell—alongside South African prop Thomas du Toit. These reinforcements proved decisive in the final stages, helping Bath maintain control and deny Gloucester, whose performance belied their low league position.
Skivington reflected on the narrow defeat, stating, “I am very proud of the group. We know where our season stands, but showing what we’re about is massive right now. The players left everything on the pitch. We were in a position to win, but when competing with top teams like Bath, it comes down to small margins.”
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He singled out Seb Atkinson for an outstanding display, suggesting his performance could earn him an England call-up for the Six Nations. “This was arguably our best game of the season so far, and while the loss is tough, we’ll take many positives from it,” Skivington added.
Van Graan, having made 11 changes to his starting lineup, remarked, “It was a fantastic derby match. Gloucester has endured a challenging time recently, and it’s great to see them competing at such a level. I’m proud of my team for fighting until the final whistle. Although our lineout struggled in the first half, we held our nerve when it mattered.”
He noted the importance of squad rotation and player selection in their pursuit to maintain their champion status. “We’ve played some excellent rugby but are yet to deliver a full 80-minute performance, which is promising for us moving forward.”
Bath’s tries came from Louie Hennessey, Dan Frost, Guy Pepper, and Finn Russell, who also converted two kicks, helping secure a bonus-point win. This victory puts Bath three points ahead of Northampton, who face Sale in their upcoming match.
Gloucester responded with tries from Val Rapava Ruskin, Charlie Atkinson, Seb Atkinson, and Aso Fasogbon. George Barton’s three conversions earned Gloucester two bonus points, elevating them temporarily above Harlequins into eighth place.