‘Quality’ Atkinson helps Gloucester survive late Sale fightback

Gloucester 33-32 Sale

George Skivington branded Mark Atkinson as “the best attacking 12 in the league” after his midfield maestro produced another influential performance before Gloucester survived a huge scare to beat Sale Sharks at Kingsholm.

Atkinson’s call-up, at the age of 31, was one of the more eye-catching sub-plots of England’s most recent training camp and his domestic excellence continued on Saturday afternoon.

He was strong on both sides of the ball, carrying powerfully and marshalling the hosts’ defence alongside Chris Harris, and headlined his outing with a beautiful, flat pass from first-receiver to release Louis Rees-zammit.

Rees-zammit chipped over Arron Reed to register his second try and seal a bonus point for Gloucester. But he had been indebted to the vision and skill of Atkinson.

“Aki’s quality,” said Skivington, the Gloucester head coach. “He’s rightfully in the England squad. He’s the best attacking 12 in the league, in my opinion. He finds holes, he reads the game and bosses things really well.

“He is crucial for us – he’s been outstanding – and he’s a great 12 to have on your shoulder if you are a 10 managing the game. I’ve got my fingers crossed that he’ll be picked in the autumn.”

Thanks largely to their destructive maul, Gloucester were superior for large periods and built a deserved 33-15 advantage over Sale thanks to Adam Hastings’s scruffy dropped goal 10 minutes from time.

However, Sale then plundered three tries after the 75th minute. Had 20-year-old fly-half Tom Curtis managed to convert Tommy Taylor’s pushover score from the touchline, the visitors would have completed the comeback.