Skivington’s pride at side’s hunger and spirit

» GLOUCESTER’S pack bullied Lyon at scrum time at the Stade de Gerland as a second-string Cherry and Whites side went down 19-13 in France.

Props Jamal Ford-robinson and Fraser Balmain, playing 75 and 77 minutes respectively, sent the hosts into reverse throughout the majority of the game to win vital penalties to keep the underdog English side in the contest in the European Challenge Cup opener.

Proud Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: “The scrum was awesome.

“The frontrow who started the game were incredible.

“You don’t often see a French scrum going back like that, especially away from home, and barring one or two debatable calls they were on top the whole game.

“I am really proud of those lads. They are in the front line, they set the tone and the young guns followed in behind.”

Balmain has started three Premiership games this season while Ford-robinson has been a replacement in eight of Gloucester’s nine league games without starting this campaign with Val Rapava-ruskin and Harry Elrington in fine form.

Despite leaving almost his entire first team at home, Skivington said: “We are gutted we didn’t win because we actually put ourselves in a position to do that at the end of the game.

“However that was a fully loaded Lyon team who are going extremely well in France and we had some fresh faces out there, a few lads who haven’t even played Prem Rugby, and I thought they were outstanding today.”

Just some of the chances Skivington was referring to were a late 5m lineout in which Gloucester knocked on the ball before being able to set their powerful maul and a break from Jack Clement in the final minute only for George Barton to get wrapped up and turned over with the scoreline within six points after a try from replacement lock Cameron Jordan put the visitors back in the contest after a score from Lyon skipper Jordan Taufua.

Skivington added: “I am unbelievably proud of that group that just took the field.

“To a get a losing bonus point at Lyon away, against a fully loaded Lyon side, is something they should be extremely proud of and the hunger and spirit they showed.”

The Cherry and Whites now host Italian side Benetton Rugby on Friday night with a victory at Kingsholm putting them in a decent position after the first block of European games.