Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Quins have no particular weakness, admits coach
GEORGE Skivington sees no obvious weakness in the Harlequins line-up as his Gloucester Rugby side heads to Twickenham for the ‘Big Summer Kick-Off’ in the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership.
The fifth-placed Cherry & Whites know that defeat could end their play-off hopes, and the head coach is expecting one of their hardest games of the season this afternoon.
“They’re a quality team. They’re the champions of England,” boss Skivington said.
“They’ve got some quality players and they look like they enjoy what they do. There are threats across the board and I don’t see them as a team with a particular weakness.
“They seem to be well connected and, as I said, they look like they enjoy what they are doing, which is really important when you’re doing this profession.
“I have a lot of respect for them and I’ve watched a lot of them, so we know the challenges. There are some quality players in there who can do some things that you can’t plan for. You’ve got to be ready for anything.
“It’s going to be a big day, a big event, and it’s exciting.”
Skivington makes four changes to the side that played last time out in the Challenge Cup quarter-final, with Giorgi Kveseladze, Santiago Socino, Kirill Gotovtsev and Ruan Ackermann all coming into today’s starting line-up.
Santiago Carreras keeps his spot at full-back and is joined in an unchanged back three by Louis Rees-Zammit and Ollie Thorley.
Kveseladze starts at inside centre alongside Chris Harris, with Adam Hastings and Charlie Chapman the partnership at half-back.
In the forward pack, Val RapavaRuskin, Socino and Gotovtsev make up the front row, with Freddie Clarke and Matias Alemanno at lock.
Ackermann, Ben Morgan and captain Lewis Ludlow complete the pack, while named as forward replacements are Jack Singleton, Harry Elrington, Fraser Balmain, Andrew Davidson and Jordy Reid.
Ben Meehan, Billy Twelvetrees and Tom Seabrook cover the backs.
Gloucester Rugby: S Carreras; L Rees-Zammit,
C Harris, G Kveseladze, O Thorley; A Hastings, C Chapman; V Rapava-Ruskin, S Socino, K Gotovtsev, F Clarke, M Alemanno, R Ackermann, L Ludlow (capt), B Morgan. Replacements: J Singleton, H Elrington F Balmain, A Davidson, J Reid, B Meehan, B Twelvetrees, T Seabrook.
Newcastle Falcons have re-signed lock Sebastian de Chaves for the 2022-23 season on a two-year deal.
The 32-year-old South African is currently playing in the United States’ Major League Rugby with Austin Gilgronis.