Latest news with #GeorgeSkivington
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cotgreave hat-trick gives Gloucester win over Northampton but no playoff berth
Gloucester did their part. A top-four finish and a place in the playoffs remained tantalisingly within reach for George Skivington's side on the final day, but they didn't just need a win: they also required one of Bristol, Sale and Leicester above them to falter. It wasn't to be. Seven tries in a rousing performance, including a hat-trick for the elusive 19-year-old wing Jack Cotgreave, against a much-changed Northampton delighted their relentlessly passionate fans. Ultimately it meant finishing fifth. It will be Bath, plus the aforementioned three, to fight it out for the Premiership title. Advertisement Related: Ibitoye double fires Bristol past Harlequins to clinch playoff tie at Bath The Saints remain the champions for now and Phil Dowson's 14 changes felt like a suitably low-key way to sign off on a disappointing title defence. They have been injury-plagued and hardly helped by players frequently departing for international duty. Still they produced one of the more memorable performances of recent years by edging out Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final four weeks ago. They came up short against Bordeaux in Cardiff seven days ago and all four of their British & Irish Lions representatives – Fin Smith, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman – were absent for this season finale. Music to Gloucester's ears with a playoff berth potentially on the table: official statistics gave them a 34% chance of the top four, and mathematically speaking, there was even a shot at a home semi-final. In a perfect world, perhaps, the Premiership's final day would feature a tense scrap to avoid relegation as well as a pulsating playoff race: not to mention a properly funded, healthy second tier packed with clubs snapping at the heels of the elite. Advertisement That feels like an impossible dream in English rugby (blame the Rugby Football Union, not the clubs) and Dowson's recently stated fear of the competition collectively 'sleepwalking' to another bankruptcy was right on the money, if that is the correct phrase. Hype up a congested playoff race all you like, the finances of the clubs remain in a parlous state, and there is no sign of it changing. Taking the positives, though, there was nothing wrong with the on-field product. The 6ft 4in Cotgreave had scored on his Premiership debut against Newcastle last time out, and crossed three times in the first half alone, although one of those was disallowed for a foot in touch. His first score came after three minutes, converted by Santiago Carreras, only for tries by Northampton's Tom Pearson and Tom Litchfield to demonstrate that the visitors fancied making a game of it. The second row Ed Prowse, captaining Northampton for the first time, was forced off on 17 minutes after an accidental head contact before Cotgreave's flying effort in the corner was disallowed. There was no doubt over another impressively pacy finish on the same wing, by the same player, on 25 minutes. Then, when Christian Wade smartly intercepted a pass around halfway on the Gloucester right, his prodigious pace made the breakaway finish seem straightforward. Wonderful work by the lock Freddie Clarke, skilfully scooping up a loose ball and offloading, soon sent the quicksilver scrum-half Tomos Williams cantering in for the bonus point. It was 22-14 at half-time: the only problem? Bristol led Harlequins 26-12, having run in four tries, with Leicester and Sale also set fair. Advertisement Northampton came out firing. The scrum-half Jonny Weimann forced his way over eight minutes after the break and when Hutchinson confidently stroked over a sweet conversion, his third of the afternoon, there was just a point in it. Gloucester's response was immediate, literally: from the restart Carreras's silky show-and-go set up Cotgreave for his hat-trick. Seb Atkinson's score made it six tries, and was met with one of the day's biggest cheers. Order restored for the Shed faithful. Iakopo Mapu's try for Saints cut the lead to 10 before Wade's second, the game's final act, sent the fans wild. But for Gloucester, the playoffs will have to wait. 'I just hope we can follow up this season, that's what it's about,' remarked a fan as the train from London pulled into Gloucester station an hour or so before kick-off. A sentiment doubtless shared by all those who follow the once-mighty Cherry-and-Whites.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Gotovtsev signs extension with Gloucester
Prop Kirill Gotovtsev has signed a new contract with Gloucester to stay with the club beyond this 37-year-old tight-head has made 82 appearances for the Cherry and Whites since signing in 2021, with 20 of those this campaign. Gotovtsev, who represented Russia at the 2019 World Cup and United Rugby Championship, was previously a wrestler before switching to rugby union in 2014."Kirill is an outstanding individual, he's a great athlete, a great bloke, he's unbelievably fit and strong, he makes very few mistakes in games and he's probably a little bit unsung because of the amount of work he gets through," said director of rugby George Skivington. "He's worked really hard on his scrummaging and he's now one of the best in the Prem and he's a real core part of the team. "He goes about his work quietly but he's got a great sense of humour, he's one of the older lads in the building - his actions, his professionalism, his diet, the way he goes about things is second to one."Gloucester have not disclosed the length of Gotovtsev's new deal.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Pressure on for 'massive' Saints game
Gloucester face a "massive" game against Northampton says director of rugby George Skivington, despite a top-four finish in the Premiership being out of their Cherry and Whites are fifth in the table, two and three points respectively behind Bristol - who host Harlequins - and Sale, who travel to Exeter in the final round of fixtures on who have never reached the top four since Skivington took over in June 2020, need one of the sides above them to slip up if they are to reach the play-offs."It's a massive game for us, we have to win it, nothing outside that matters," Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire."We know things have to go our way so there's some pressure on this week to make sure we deliver what we can."We're not exactly where we want to be but we're right on the edge; all we can do is rip into this week which the boys have done, get as focused and as ready as we can and focus on beating Northampton Saints." When the Premiership resumed after a two-month break in March, Gloucester were third in the defeats by Bath and Saracens dropped them out of a tight race at the top and their hopes received a major hit two weeks ago when they were beaten 38-19 by Harlequins to leave their fate out of their hands."We'd love to be able to have a shot at it, there's always going to be a few results you look at and go 'we could have made life a bit easier'," Skivington the result on Saturday, their league campaign has still been a marked improvement on the past two years, when Gloucester finished 10th out of 11 in 2022-23 and ninth out of 10 last implemented a new, more expansive style of play last summer and have often proved one of the most exciting attacking outfits in the Premiership with their 535 points scored significantly more than the 400 of last season."I think we've been brave enough to try something different, to push it in a different direction. It's not been perfect - there's always bits you look at and go 'if we'd done this, if we'd done that' and that's the beauty of it," Skivington said."There's bits that we'll definitely next year want to get better at to support the good work we've done this year."But overall I've been really pleased with everyone in this building. Now we've just got to finish the job off, control what we can and focus on this game - whatever happens, try and have a good day at Kingsholm." 'Make fans proud' - Ackermann Saturday's match will mark the final appearance in Cherry and White for a number of players including full-back Santiago Carreras, centre Chris Harris and back-rows Ruan Ackermann and Freddie Clarke, who are among 19 leaving the club this who made more than 170 appearances for Gloucester after signing in 2017, said he wanted to make the fans "proud" before bowing out."I always just wanted to get respect from the fans at Kingsholm. I feel they deserve a lot for the support they give," Ackermann said."All I can always do is make them proud and hopefully on the weekend we can have one more game at home where I can walk off and say I've given everything to them."The 28-year-old has not confirmed where he will play next season but said he knew for a while he would be leaving Gloucester."I think I'm getting to a stage now in my life where there was a feeling from the club and me that I feel I needed to go," he said."It's more the reality sank in the last two, three months when you say to them 'I probably need to move on'. The club's got their ambitions and mine has changed a bit because of how things are going, and [you have to] try to accept it."
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Prop Ford-Robinson signs new Gloucester deal
Gloucester prop Jamal Ford-Robinson has agreed a new deal to stay with the Premiership has made more than a century of appearances for the Cherry and Whites since signing for the club in 31-year-old, who can play at both loose-head and tight-head, has played in 10 matches so far this campaign, starting one of them, and scored two tries."Jamal is an integral member of the squad, his ability to play on both sides of the scrum is unique and his try-scoring ability from close range is prolific," said, external director of rugby George Skivington."We've got some good, young props coming through here and Jamal has been great in sharing tips and tricks with them and helping them develop their game."Ford-Robinson's new contract comes a week after the club announced the triple signings of scrum-half Mike Austin and forwards Hugh Bockenham and Josh Basham for the 2025-26 season.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Williams grateful to Gloucester after Lions call-up
Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams says he does not think he would have been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad if he had not been playing for Gloucester this season. The number nine moved to the Cherry and Whites last summer from Cardiff Rugby and has been one of their stand-out players, making 23 appearances in all competitions so was one of three scrum-halves, along with Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park and England's Alex Mitchell, selected by head coach Andy Farrell."I don't think I'd be in this position if it wasn't for Gloucester," Williams told BBC Radio Gloucestershire."I said before I'm grateful for the coaches, Lights [attack coach James Lightfoot Brown], Dom [defence coach Waldouck] and Skivs [director of rugby George Skivington] for allowing me to play the way we play at Gloucester."Coming here this season has helped me massively." Williams' arrival in Gloucester has been instrumental in helping transform the club into one of the most potent attacking sides in the league this has scored eight Premiership tries and assisted another eight, made 23 line breaks, tops the standings for most passes (845), second for kick metres (4,246) and sits in the top five overall for offloads (19) in stats provided by ball-handling trickery has also caught the eye - against Bristol he collected the ball in the air before a no-look pass set up Seb Atkinson to score under the 30-year-old, who has 64 caps for Wales, was the final name to be called out at the selection ceremony in London last Thursday and said the news took a couple of hours to sink in."It's so special. That's why I think it's such an achievement. I'm so grateful for the opportunity. It's the pinnacle of rugby, so I'm immensely proud and grateful," he said. Williams is one of just two Welshman in the 38-player squad for the summer series in Australia, along with back row Jac Morgan - the lowest number picked for the squad in the modern Williams said he hoped the duo will represent the Welsh flag "strongly". "I'm massively proud of Jac and really happy for Jac, he's such a good player. You've seen that throughout the last couple of years and he's such a good bloke," Williams said."Hopefully we can represent Wales strongly and they'll be proud of us."
