Rapava-ruskin’s knee injury flares up again

» GLOUCESTER’S first-choice loosehead prop Val Rapavaruskin is once again struggling with his knee despite having had surgery on it earlier this season to try and fix the problem.

Rapava-ruskin missed the Cherry and Whites’ Challenge Cup semi-final win over the Ospreys on Friday night after his knee ‘blew up’ again and is a doubt for Saturday’s Premiership trip to Saracens.

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said: ‘Val’s knee blew up so we made the call not to play him [against Ospreys]. We didn’t want to risk him and took the conservative route. We have got a few weeks until the Challenge Cup semi-final so I am hoping he will be alright.”

England winger Ollie Thorley also missed the game after suffering a knock to his shoulder in the win against Castres in the last 16 but looks to have recovered to return to the selection mix.

Skivington said: “Thorlo will be okay. He got a bang and we tread carefully with that one. We could have rolled him out against the Ospreys but we have got some good young wingers in Josh [Hathaway] and Jake [Morris], they have done a good job in the last couple of games. They are the type of lads I want to see a bit more of in the Premiership before the end of the season.”

Welsh international centre Max Llewellyn is fit despite having limped off at Kingsholm on Friday. Skivington said: “He is okay, thankfully.”

Skivington admitted he will use the next couple of weeks to rest and rotate his squad with his eyes firmly fixtured on the Challenge Cup semi-final against Benetton at Kingsholm on May 4.

He said: “We have obviously had a different five weeks to some clubs, we had the Prem Cup final, we have had two knockout games in Europe, we have been going five or six weeks straight on the bounce so there are a few lads who need to be looked after.”