Gloucester may not be the force of even two years ago but they will want to make a point
IN a sense there seemed a certain choreography about the way Gloucester went about their business this week.
They put out a weakened side who took a spanking at Lyon, then came the tale that star name Danny Cipriani has departed Kingsholm, and know they announced Adam Hastings will come in when his contract at Glasgow expires at the end of the season.
Head coach George Skivington talked about avoiding “drama” by keeping Cipriani on but, naturally, stressed there was no acrimony at his sudden departure, with the veteran out-half clearly out of favour.
And then the pill was sweetened by the announcement that Georgian centre Giorgi Kveseladze — he scored that memorable try against Ireland in the recent Nations Cup — would be arriving at Kingsholm rather sooner than Hastings.
It has been difficult to avoid shaking off the notion that Gloucester needed something positive to be speedily produced to, maybe, take the bad look off things.
But letting Cipriani go now and the basting handed out to them at Lyon doesn’t suggest a club that is entirely at peace with itself though, funnily enough, Skivington has selected a much stronger looking side to face Ulster today, the implication being that is more a case of producing something at home to take back to the Premiership — assuming it continues to function — rather than avoiding early extinction of Gloucester’s flimsy hopes of doing something in Europe.
It is just the latest development in what some would describe as a transitional phase for the Cherry and Whites as they continue to move on after losing director of rugby David Humphreys and head coach Johann Ackermann over the summer.
It used to be that Gloucester
were the powerhouses of rugby in England’s West Country but no more, which hardly sits well with them when placed alongside the irresistible rise of Exeter Chiefs.
Indeed, l ast season’s poor enough showing — albeit disrupted by Covid — when they lost five games on the trot ahead of lockdown was a far cry from when they won the European Challenge Cup and reached three finals in four seasons between 2015 and 2018.
Making t he Pre miers hi p semi-finals in 2019 pretty much broke the recent mould for ‘The Shed’ faithful, who have endured difficult times domestically, but that seems a long time ago now.
In fairness, being hit hard by injuries prior to Europe’s opening round — experienced centre Billy Twelvetrees has gone under the knife while there is no sign of Jonny May — has ensured that Skivington’s hand was forced last weekend.
But that is not quite the case this time around with out-half Lloyd Evans fit again and a trio of internationals in lock Matias Alemanno, winger Louis Rees-zammit and centre Chris Harris all boosting today’s starting line-up.
Following on from Lyon, and the previous Premiership loss at home to Harlequins, a third straight defeat will not be how Gloucester intend to sign off ahead of Christmas.
Ulster are in their sights.