As the Gallagher Premiership regular season nears its conclusion, Gloucester Rugby prepares to face Northampton Saints in a pivotal Round 18 encounter at Kingsholm Stadium this Saturday, May 31, with kickoff at 3:05 pm.
Gloucester head coach George Skivington is urging his squad to summon one final intense effort to secure a vital win at home. Sitting fifth in the table, Gloucester are just two points shy of the coveted top four positions that guarantee a spot in the play-offs and a chance to compete for silverware.
With defending champions Northampton Saints visiting Kingsholm, Gloucester’s fate partly hinges on other results this weekend. They need either Bristol Bears to lose at home against Harlequins or Sale Sharks to fall at Exeter Chiefs. Still, Skivington insists his focus remains on what Gloucester can control: winning their own game.
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“It’s a massive game for us. We have to win it—nothing outside of that matters,” said Skivington. “We’re right on the edge and have to deliver this week. The boys have been working hard, getting focused, and ready to beat Northampton Saints.”
This match carries added significance as it marks the final home game for several club stalwarts, including Ruan Ackermann, Freddie Clarke, Chris Harris, Gareth Anscombe, and Christian Wade, all departing at season’s end. Skivington emphasized the emotional aspect of these farewells.
“It’s about enjoying this time together, knowing it’s limited. We’re saying goodbye to some great players but the best send-off is to win our last regular-season home game,” he explained.
Fans can catch the action live on TNT Sports 8 starting at 2:45 pm, with streaming available on the discovery+ app. Highlights will be posted on the Premiership Rugby website shortly after the match.
For those unable to attend Kingsholm, GloucestershireLive will provide real-time score updates, match reports, interviews, and in-stadium insights. BBC Radio Gloucestershire will also offer live commentary.
Here are the full team lineups for the clash:
Gloucester Rugby:
15 Santi Carreras, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Jack Cotgreave, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams
Forwards: 1 Ciaran Knight, 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 4 Freddie Clarke, 5 Arthur Clark, 6 Jack Clement, 7 Lewis Ludlow (captain), 8 Ruan Ackermann
Replacements: 16 Seb Blake, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Kirill Gotovtsev, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Freddie Thomas, 21 Caolan Englefield, 22 Will Butler, 23 George Barton
Northampton Saints:
15 Jake Garside, 14 Toby Cousins, 13 Henry Lumley, 12 Tom Litchfield, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Rory Hutchinson, 9 Jonny Weimann
Forwards: 1 Tarek Haffar, 2 Henry Walker, 3 Luke Green, 4 Ed Prowse (captain), 5 Chunya Munga, 6 Archie Benson, 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Fyn Brown
Replacements: 16 Nathan Langdon, 17 Emmanuel Iyogun, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Callum Hunter-Hill, 20 Tom Lockett, 21 Iakopo Mapu, 22 James Pater, 23 Ewan Baker
Match officials for the game include referee Anthony Woodthorpe, assistants Craig Maxwell-Keys and Jonathan Healy, with Andrew Jackson serving as the TMO.
With promotion to the play-offs at stake and farewells to key players looming, Saturday’s showdown promises to be a thrilling and emotional contest at Kingsholm.