Gloucester Rugby’s director of rugby, George Skivington, confirmed that the team intends to field relatively strong lineups in the forthcoming PREM Rugby Cup matches as they aim to rebuild confidence and form.
Currently atop Pool A with three wins from four games following a successful autumn block, the Cherry and Whites face the Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate this Sunday. Despite their promising position in the development competition, Gloucester have endured a challenging run, suffering seven consecutive losses in the Gallagher Premiership and Champions Cup.
With nearly half of the squad sidelined due to injuries and international duties, Skivington outlined the club’s objectives over the next month. “We have about two months before an intense run of eight Premiership fixtures, and by then, I want us to be sharp and ready to compete at the highest level,” he said.
READ MORE: Americans Reveal Top UK Destinations After a Year of Travel – Cotswolds Shines on the List
READ MORE: Cotswolds Bowler ‘Gobsmacked’ to Make Commonwealth Games Debut at 69
Gloucester took a step closer to regaining form by pushing reigning Gallagher Premiership champions closely, narrowly losing 30-26 at Kingsholm last Friday but securing two valuable bonus points. This result lifted them above Harlequins into eighth place in the league standings.
Skivington added, “Numbers remain tight for the initial PREM Cup games, so the squad won’t change drastically, but I plan to give game time to fit players on the fringe of the squad. The competition offers us a great chance to build team chemistry without the intense pressure of Premiership play. We have bonded exceptionally well under pressure, and now we’ll focus on refining aspects of our game to come out stronger post-PREM Cup.”
The team will be without several key players during the upcoming Six Nations Championship. Wales international Tomos Williams, along with England’s Seb Atkinson and Arthur Clark, will be away with their national teams. Meanwhile, promising young talents such as centre Will Knight, lock Freddie Ogden-Metherell, and hooker Kealan Freeman-Price have been selected for England’s U20 squad. Wales U20s co-captain Deian Gwynne, flanker Caio James, second row Oscar Rees, and scrum half Luca Woodyatt are also representing their countries.
Skivington emphasized the need to manage the squad’s workload carefully. “Players like Lewis Ludlow have given everything for this club and feel every loss deeply. We want to ensure they’re fresh and ready. While last year’s squad allowed more rotation, this season we have specific targets we want to achieve,” he concluded.