Gloucester Rugby’s director of rugby, George Skivington, commended his team’s determination and effort during their 25-19 defeat to Newcastle Falcons, capturing the spirit of a squad coping with injury and inexperience. Newcastle earned their first Gallagher Premiership victory of the season at Kingston Park, but Gloucester’s young lineup showed grit despite the loss.
The match saw tries from Gloucester’s George McGuigan and Tom Christie, balanced by Newcastle’s scoring efforts including Simon Benitez Cruz and Brett Connon’s penalty kicks. Ollie Thorley scored for Gloucester but was later shown a red card, complicating their comeback efforts. Despite trailing 25-5, Gloucester managed to narrow the deficit with converted tries from Mikey Austin and Ciaran Knight, showcasing their fighting spirit until the final whistle.
Skivington highlighted the challenges faced by his team: “We have a number of 18-year-olds, a couple of scrum-halves new to Premiership Rugby, and a hooker who only joined on Monday. Their effort and work rate are commendable, but the connections aren’t what they were last season.”
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Newcastle’s head coach, Alan Dickens, praised his team’s performance, especially their defensive resilience after substitutions: “Credit to Gloucester for pushing back strongly in the second half. Our players showed fantastic commitment, and the late turnover at the lineout was a key moment.”
While Newcastle remains at the bottom of the table with just one win from nine games, Dickens expressed optimism about their progress: “The players have been outstanding this season and today’s performance reflects the hard work and improvement we’ve seen over recent weeks. We’ll take this win and focus on our next challenge.”