Simpson urges Gloucester to get smarter
GLOUCESTER No.9 Joe Simpson is confident that the building blocks put in place by their new coaching team since restart will serve his side well next season.
A traumatic campaign was due to conclude today against struggling Northampton, but Saints, who met Sale on Tuesday, have forfeited their game as a number of their players have to self-isolate.
Simpson is looking forward to the new season starting in November and believes Gloucester’s record of just seven wins from 21 games belies the nature of their performances.
He identifies discipline and game-management as areas most in need of improvement over what will be a short pre-season.
Simpson said: “It’s been a strange, short slog but coming back to a new coaching set-up under George Skivington has actually been very good. It’s brought a new level of enthusiasm and been a great opportunity for them to stamp their mark.
“They’ve been feeling their way in but it’s been refreshing and they’ve been open, honest and all the things you want as players.
“It’s been tricky for them because they’ve had so much to cover but a lot of good things have been put in place for next season.”
Simpson explained: “We’ve lost too many games, but a lot of them have been by small margins and the story of our season is that territory and indiscipline have cost us.
“We’re a team with a great deal of talent that’s full of people who are prepared to work really hard, but sometimes we have been too adventurous and shot ourselves in the foot.
“We’re running from areas you just don’t need to run from and while you’ll still see a fair bit of attacking from us next season, you’ll hopefully see a more pragmatic approach to winning as well.
“We’re not a Saracens or Exeter who can dominate the gain-line with huge packs.
“But if we start firing our shots in the right areas and get points on the board more regularly, rather than conceding 9-12 points from penalties, we’ll win those tighter games.
“We’ve given away far too many needless points from playing in the wrong areas and putting pressure on ourselves, but we know what the coaches want from us.”
Simpson added: “We’ll only get three weeks off and then it’s back on with the tin hats.
“But there won’t be massive changes to the squad.”