Showing posts with label Gloucester Rugby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gloucester Rugby. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 February 2020

More than just a rugby match: Danny Cipriani, Gloucester and #BeKind

Rugby was eclipsed by a far bigger issue as Gloucester hosted Sale Sharks in a match that was focused on raising awareness and funds for mental health support.

Sale may have narrowly beaten their hosts, but Gloucester boss Johan Ackermann was as keen to use his post-match interview to spread the message of loving one's neighbour as he was to diagnose where it went wrong for his side.

The game raised money for the Samaritans and was inspired by Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani's emotional tribute to former girlfriend Caroline Flack a week earlier.

For the evening, Gloucester players' names on the back of their shirts were replaced by the hashtag "BeKind".

My piece for The Times reflects on a match with a difference as well as Sale's heady ascent up the Premiership table.


Wednesday, 3 October 2018

Eddie Jones should take a closer look at Billy Twelvetrees, says Johan Ackermann


Danny Cipriani may be stealing the headlines at Gloucester, but it is the main outside him who is the “unsung hero” of the Cherry and Whites’ strong start to the campaign.

Billy Twelvetrees has been Gloucester’s lynch-pin in the Premiership so far, according to boss Johan Ackermann.

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Now Gloucester head coach Ackermann is urging England supremo Eddie Jones to take a closer look at Twelvetrees ahead of the World Cup.

Twelvetrees has been slotting his kicks so far this term, as well as being the level-headed foil to Cipriani’s audacious plays.

Twelvetrees, who picked up the last of his 22 caps in 2015, impressed again on Friday in Gloucester’s five-try to win over Bristol, with Jones looking on.


Under-recognised?


“Billy is the side’s unsung hero at the moment,” Ackermann told me. “He is consistently one of our senior guys who works extremely hard during the week.

“He is very calm, shows good leadership and is extremely fit. His work-rate is tremendous on the field and I don’t always think he gets that recognition.

“He organises a lot in defence and works a lot off the ball. He is really working well with Danny on his inside and he’s really doing well for us at this stage.

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“He’s always so professional. He’s always one of the guys who really looks after himself and always one of the last to walk out of the club. It’s very good to have him in our system.”

England boss Jones opted for Owen Farrell, Henry Slade, Piers Francis and Alex Lozowski as his potential inside centres in his August pre-season camp, but Ackermann ardently believes Twelvetrees is worth another look.

Decoy


Twelvetrees, 29, is filling in at the first-receiver role at times for Gloucester, with Cipriani on occasion being used as a decoy.

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“It’s a difficult one. Obviously, I’ll always lean towards the guys that I coach and I do believe Billy’s got the talent and the ability,” says Ackermann.

“But as I’ve said with other players, Eddie has worked with a squad now for two or three years and he’s going to believe in certain guys. For there to be change, only Eddie can do it.

“We’re happy with the way Billy has performed and developed his game in the last year and hopefully it will keep on going.”

Wednesday, 25 April 2018

Gloucester full-back Jason Woodward presses case for England place

My thoughts for The Times on Gloucester's European Challenge Cup semi-final win over Newcastle Falcons.

He threw a couple of rash early passes, but after that it was a supremely eye-catching display by Gloucester full-back Jason Woodward, whose pace onto the ball, lines of running and off-loading dexterity were all top class.

Embed from Getty Images

With Bath's Anthony Watson sidelined for six months by a torn Achilles sustained against Ireland in the Six Nations, the door is surely now more than ajar for New Zealand-born Woodward to tour South Africa with England this summer, not least because his attacking mentality is similar to Watson's.


Saturday, 21 January 2017

Matt Scott on Scotland 6 Nations recall: I've Billy Twelvetrees to thank

Matt Scott was on Wednesday named in Scotland's 6 Nations squad, having been overlooked by Vern Cotter for the Autumn Internationals. Just a week-and-a-half ahead of the recall, Scott told me he'd have Gloucester team-mate Billy Twelvetrees to thank if he got the call... Here's that piece, first published in The Rugby Paper:

Matt Scott couldn’t be doing much more to stake his claim for a Scotland recall ahead of the Six Nations – and he says he has an Englishman to thank.

Dropped from Vern Cotter’s squad for the Autumn Tests, Scott has been working with fellow Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees on refining his game.

And it has reaped some immediate dividends.

TEAM EFFORT: Matt Scott and Billy Twelvetrees bring down Leicester's Manu Tuilagi

Scott is tied for second with Bath winger Semesa Rokoduguni in the list of top Premiership finishers this season, with eight tries to his name. Only Wasps’ Christian Wade has dotted down more times in the league.

But it is in defence where Scott has been focusing most of his efforts since making the summer move from Edinburgh to Kingsholm, with Twelvetrees – himself overlooked by his country – proving an inspiration.

MATT SCOTT FACTFILE:
AGE: 26
POSITION: Centre
INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 36
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT: 10 March, 2012 versus Ireland
CLUBS: Edinburgh, Gloucester

"The feedback I got after I was dropped was about the defence – they felt there were a couple of other centres who were maybe more defensively sound than me,” said 26-year-old Scott, who scored twice in Gloucester’s seven-try thumping of Worcester last weekend. “They told me to keep working on it and that’s what I’ve been doing.

HEAD TO HEAD: Scott and Twelvetrees in action against one another in the 2013 Six Nations


“I have been working with Billy and I love the way he has this energy and passion for defending. I’ve not come across anything like it before.

“He is a class player – an England international and a British Lion – and it’s lovely to be able to learn off him and these other guys.”

Scott has 36 caps, with his last appearance for Scotland coming in June against Japan.

“I’m absolutely desperate to get back in the mix for the Six Nations,” he said.

“I was absolutely gutted to miss out in the autumn. But centre is such a competitive position now in the Scotland squad, whereas in the past it maybe wasn’t.

“I need to improve all aspects of my game to get in the squad and if I can get up there where the coaches can watch me then I can hopefully show them why I’m worthy of a place again.”

“Scoring tries gets your name in the headlines but it’s about the whole performance and there are other aspects of my performance that need working on. Sometimes scoring tries glosses over that.”

SCOTT EARNS RECALL - SOCIAL MEDIA:




Monday, 5 September 2016

Jonny May: I've half an eye on Autumn International return for England

England flyer Jonny May is eyeing an international recall for the Autumn Internationals as he targets a speedy return from a serious knee injury.

After rupturing knee ligaments in December, Gloucester wing May was forced to play the role of frustrated bystander as England completed a Six Nations Grand Slam and whitewashed the Wallabies in Australia.

But now May has his sights set on a potential return against South Africa at Twickenham on November 12.

“Why not go for it?” he tells me. “But if the knee’s not right, I’ll be patient and sensible about it.

“I’ve got plenty of time. I’m only 26.  I want to get a healthy knee and I’m confident my best days are ahead of me.”

May, who has 19 caps, was injured just a month after Eddie Jones arrived as new England boss, but a steady flow of messages from Jones has buoyed May’s confidence, as did his inclusion in Jones’s 45-man provisional squad for the Autumn Internationals.

“I got injured as soon as Eddie came in but he texted me as soon as he found out I’d got injured and has texted me every now and again to check up on me,” said May, whose club, Gloucester, are yet to record a win this season having lost against Leicester and drawn at Worcester.

“I wasn’t expecting that but I was really pleased he did because it gave me a bit of motivation and showed I was still in his thoughts."

“I’m aware I’ve a long way to go and I’ve a lot to get right but I hope that I’ve still got some of my best days ahead of me. I definitely want to play for England again.”

May, who faces a battle with Exeter Chiefs’ Jack Nowell, Harlequins’ Marland Yarde and Bath’s Semesa Rokoduguni for the England wing berths, is scheduled to return to full fitness in the first week of October.



* This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in The Rugby Paper. For detailed coverage of rugby in the UK at every level, see The Rugby Paper every Sunday. 

Wednesday, 18 November 2015

The Times: Barbarians v Gloucester

Read my thoughts for The Times on the Barbarians' performance against Gloucester at Kingsholm, where Australia boss Michael Cheika was in charge of rugby's most famous invitational side.





































Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Gloucester, Wasps and monkeys off backs

No festive slacking for me - Gloucester v Wasps on Sunday for the Daily Express and The Rugby Paper. You can read my thoughts in the Express here.

Saturday, 26 October 2013

Bath v Gloucester - Full-time match report in The Guardian

Here's a link to my on-the-whistle report for The Guardian from last night's West Country derby.

Freddie Burns kept Gloucester in the game with an intelligent display at 10, but you'd be hard pressed to find any other positives for the Cherry and Whites, whose discipline was atrocious. Conceding 19 penalties away from home is never likely to end in a victory.

Friday, 13 September 2013

Friday thoughts on Freddie Burns, Dean Richards & Richard Cockerill

Gloucester’s Freddie Burns will make his 100th appearance for the Cherry and Whites this weekend when they travel to Sarries. One hundredth appearance? Incredible, really, given that it seems just a jiffy ago that I was asking Burns' lanky, teenage frame what it was like playing his first pre-season friendly against his home-town club, Bath.
So the hundred’s up for Freddie, aged just 23. And for all his Bath roots, he is perfectly happy to now describe himself as a Gloucester boy. I wouldn’t bet against him chalking up 300 appearances for Gloucester during his career.
Burns was, and remains, the one who got away for Bath.

**************

Last season, Bath collectively psyched themselves up for their home encounter with Leicester by watching the video of the 2008 game in which Butch James scored one of the most implausible match-winning tries ever. That last-gasp score was inspiring enough, but even more inspiring was the physical tenacity that Bath brought to their play that November day.


Butch James's modest celebration at The Rec, 2008
 
As a preparation tactic for last season’s game, it worked a treat. Bath won another pulsating game with another late try by another swan-diving South African – this time it was Francois Louw.
So, how have Bath prepared for Saturday’s 100th anniversary match with Leicester? By watching DVDs of those two fixtures, you'd expect. And with Louw away on Rugby Championship duty, it might be handy for the West Country side to bus in an additional South African or two for the occasion.

************

Nilling a team when you are away from home is never a bad way to start a season. Bath’s performance against Newcastle last Friday was controlled, controlling and perfectly adapted to the conditions.
From beginning to end, it was a consummately professional showing. And I haven’t been able to write that too many times in recent seasons.
Newcastle were thoroughly beaten up. All of which made the post-match remark by Falcons boss Dean Richards that “Against bigger sides, Bath will become unstuck” distinctly perplexing.
Well, Dean, if Bath will become unstuck, then the outlook doesn’t look great for your nilled Falcons, does it?

************

Talking of motormouthed coaches, it just won’t be the same on Saturday without Leicester boss Richard Cockerill in the stands. No more shouts of “That’s embarrassing, referee!” and the like.
Cockers is currently banned from being involved with Leicester on match-days following his outburst during the Premiership final, the transcript of which would no doubt be deserving of a Tarantino script. Still, it will be quieter in the West Stand on Saturday. And referee Greg Garner will be able to leave his earplugs at home.
For all his hollering and desk-thumping, I’d still rather have Cockerill there for a ding-dong Bath-Leicester scrap. He brings passion and unpredictability – two ingredients for any compelling spectacle. But then it’s not me who gets bawled at by him. Not yet, anyway.

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Pumas as well as Lions

The Lions tour may be in full swing, but don't forget the goings-on elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. I've been on Argentina watch with the BBC this week: Billy Twelvetrees talks about how the relationship he has built up with Gloucester team-mate Freddie Burns has been transferred from club to country, while fit-again hooker Rob Webber - who impressed in Salta with a polished display both in the tight and loose - has his eye on England's first 2-0 series win in Argentina.

Friday, 5 October 2012

Freddie Burns - who better to ask about the West Country derby?

He still regards Bath Rugby as his home team and openly admits to an enduring affection for the club. But on Saturday afternoon Freddie Burns will be seeking to bamboozle and out-gun anyone in blue, black and white as though his life depended on it.

As a teenager, Burns jumped ship from the Bath Academy and headed to the cherry and white of Gloucester. It was a colossal call for a 17-year-old to make, and the fly-half admits to having had a few moments along the way where he’s questioned the wisdom of the decision. But, 80 games for Gloucester and an England Saxons call-up later, there are zero regrets.




Greetings from the West Country

“Bath is definitely my home-town club – I spent many years growing up and sneaking into games at The Rec,” said the 22-year-old ahead of Saturday’s derby at Kingsholm. “But when I left Bath, it was a case of me wanting to get out there and test myself.

“Gloucester were known for playing a lot of youngsters, and at the time Butch James was the fly-half for Bath – he’s world-class. I thought about where I was going to have the best opportunity to become the best player, and I was impressed by how Gloucester structured their academy.

“They set out a plan for how they’d blood me. Dean Ryan (the then Gloucester director of rugby) said ‘You’ll be at Cinderford this year, Moseley next year if Gloucester don’t need you’. As a youngster, all you want to see is a bit of a pathway through and I felt Gloucester had that in place.

“It was a big call. It wasn’t easy. I had a lot of conversations with my parents and Bath players past and present – people I hugely respect. It took a long time to make the decision and I had my doubts over the years. But, especially over the past 18 months or two years, it’s definitely been worth the move in terms of how much I’ve played for Gloucester.”

Burns still enjoys bantering on Twitter with his mates from Oldfield Old Boys and regularly returns to the city; there is clearly still a part of him that’s rooted in Bath. And how couldn’t there be? He went to Beechen Cliff School and City of Bath College, started playing rugby aged five at Avon, and played for a host of sides in the city.

The build-up to a Bath-Gloucester derby has added a bit of frisson to this week, but Burns says he isn’t one to get carried away.

“It’s a West Country derby and that means a bit more excitement, however I’m not really the type to get too nervous or get caught up in it,” he said. “I’ll go through my week like it’s a normal week with the added bonus that it’s my home-town club I’ll be facing at the end of it. I do get a bit more stick from my mates in texts and on Twitter, though!

“My family and I still keep an eye out for Bath. It’s always going to be a club that’s special in my heart – it’s just a case of putting that to one side for an afternoon and getting the win.”

Freddie isn’t the only Burns on Gloucester’s books. His younger brother, Bill – four years his junior – also moved to the Cherry and Whites from Bath. The move took place after Bill, who turned 18 in June, was rejected by the Bath Academy.

Lightning appears to have struck twice, with Bill quickly following in his brother’s footsteps and rapidly rising through Gloucester's ranks. He played at fly-half against Newcastle in the A League on Monday, came off the bench for Gloucester’s first-team in a LV= Cup match last season, and has already played for England U18s.

“I’m lucky,” says Freddie. “The whole family comes with me to Gloucester and with what happened to Bill – with the Bath Academy not wanting him and the Gloucester Academy saying they'd have him – it’s strengthened the family connection with the club.”

The strength of that connection will be shown on Saturday when Burns will make every attempt to whip up the notoriously partisan Gloucester crowd to what he hopes will be Bath’s detriment.

“I’ve always been a bit of a showman and like to feed off the crowd and have a bit of banter with them,” he said. “I think you have to feed off The Shed on derby day.”

Showman is the right word. With flair, vision and a desire to take the ball on the gainline, Burns has established himself as the Cherry and Whites’ master of ceremonies. And there can be little doubt that many visiting fans on Saturday will wish that this showman still wore blue, black and white.


This article first appeared in The Bath Chronicle, which this week contains interviews with Bath coach Mike Ford and players David Wilson and Dan Hipkiss in the build-up to the derby.

Friday, 17 June 2011

The Socialist Republic of the Premiership

My musings on Gloucester shareholder Tom Walkinshaw's declaration that Premiership Rugby has its roots "somewhere in socialism"

Those volatile elements, sport and politics, need to be handled carefully whenever there's the slightest whiff that they might be about to combine. Otherwise there can be an unholy combustion.

Inevitably, the debate over the impending increase of the Premiership salary cap has generated a political debate with a small 'p'. Some clubs want it, others aren't so keen. One club has x agenda, another has y agenda.

Such internal politics are bound to occur within Premiership Rugby, the organisation which comprises the top dozen English sides.

What isn't inevitable is the manner in which certain clubs chose to publicly vent their views on the matter.

Ryan Walkinshaw, a major shareholder at Gloucester and the son of former owner Tom, this week gave a revealing interview which was as frank as it was engaging.

Walkinshaw clearly has a passion for the game that rivals his father's and the 23-year-old's views on its future are both well articulated and, in many cases, plausible.

But one of his remarks will no doubt prompt a few raised eyebrows.

"The whole idea of Premiership Rugby as a body has a base somewhere in socialism, in that we are all in it together, for the good of the sport."

During my time as an amateur player, and during my time as a rugby writer, I have to say I haven't had that many discussions about socialism. So it was intriguing to discover that one of the biggest players in the domestic game believes aspects of English professional rugby have their roots in Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto.

I can understand Walkinshaw's sentiments – English clubs do, to a degree, need to co-operate for the good of the game – but the problem is that the game is not played in an English bubble. There is Europe to worry about, too.

Holding back other English clubs because you don't have the money that they have (as Gloucester seem to want to do) might serve your self-interest but it will have the wider effect of harming English clubs' prospects on the European stage.

In that regard, Walkinshaw's proposals are inward-looking and redolent of a 'closed shop' mentality. That attitude won't help an English club lift the Heineken Cup. And would that be "for the good of the sport"?

Friday, 11 March 2011

Olly's wry wit is perfect tonic after double leg break


Its nickname may be Castle Grim but the atmosphere at Kingsholm on Saturday was anything but.

You have to hand it to the Gloucester fans – they certainly know how to create a buzz fit for a derby.

Whether you're a home fan, a visiting supporter or a neutral, you know that five minutes before kick-off – with The Shed warming to its task – you'll be getting a fizz of expectation surging through your central nervous system. Or something like that, anyway.

On Saturday, however, the Gloucester crowd proved there is more to it than the ability to sing very loudly and get under the skin of the opposition. For just a minute or two, Kingsholm discovered its sensitive side, maybe even its soul.
Click here for more

When Olly Barkley was carried off the pitch on a stretcher in the 67th minute, his leg in a splint and a laughing-gas mask over his mouth, it was a pitiful sight.

Of course, you would expect any crowd with a crumb of humanity to offer polite, sympathetic applause in such a case. But a few hardened Cherry and White supporters went further, rising from their seats to applaud the man who has something of a history at Kingsholm.

Some were a little self-conscious as they got to their feet but there was a touching sense of the West Country divide being temporarily healed.

Barkley didn't much take to Gloucester during his year at Kingsholm in 2008-09, nor did Gloucester take that warmly to him.

But I think The Shed holds some respect for Barkley over the honest way he extricated himself from his two-year Gloucester deal, rather than sitting out a second year in a stew of discontent.

There was plenty of baiting on and off the pitch on Saturday and no shortage of handbags being swung but the moment of unity brought about by Barkley's injury was a moment to remember.

That, even more than a seven-try, 56-point match, was proof that the spirit of rugby is very much alive in the West Country.

For Barkley to suffer another leg break just a year-and-a-half after his first fracture is a cruel blow indeed. But he's showing every sign of adopting the kind of attitude needed to weather such a set-back.

Once Barkley finally received his morphine at hospital, he was quickly making wry observations about life in hospital via his Twitter web page.

That sense of humour will stand him in good stead during the long road of recovery. Good luck, Olly.

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Marksman Olly Barkley could give Gloucester the bullet


Olly Barkley is in outrageously good form with the boot at the moment, with 15 successful strikes on the bounce. Those efforts haven't gone unnoticed by that big beast of the Bath pack, Danny Grewcock.
If things come down to a kicking duel on Saturday when Bath travel to Gloucester, then the visitors could have the edge; Gloucester fly-half Nicky Robinson has a success rate that's 20 per cent lower than Barkley's.
Read my column in this week's Bath Chronicle here.

Friday, 8 October 2010

It's the no-shows that stick in the mind

So, the first block of Aviva Premiership games is over – and what a mixed bag it's been for Bath.

There have been a couple of bonus-point victories but there have also been a couple of nasty losses. And with the weight of expectation being what it is at Bath this season, it's the losses that are sticking in the mind.

The thing is, they weren't just losses. They were embarrassing no-shows. Twice in the space of 15 days Bath looked like lost children on the pitch.

And one of those matches was at The Rec, the place where they should feel most at home.

They were the kind of performances that make you want to avert your eyes (or leave, as hundreds did before the final whistle against Gloucester last Friday), and the words of the departing fans – "we got spanked", "we got battered" – said it all.

The nature of Friday's loss to Gloucester casts a new light on the season's earlier matches.

Bath were so poor against the Cherry and Whites that I found myself reconsidering Bath's other performances and I reached the following conclusion: Bath have only put in one good performance out of the five games they have played so far.

That game was the match against London Irish, in which Bath sneaked a win with a last-gasp try. Even then they were hardly resounding victors.

Irish spent the majority of the second half of that match with just 14 men on the pitch, following a sin-binning and then a sending-off. Yet Bath failed to capitalise, even conceding a try before grabbing a late winner.

It's fairly obvious why I don't regard the losses to Northampton or Gloucester as good performances (I don't think anyone would) but what about the wins over Leeds and Sale?

Didn't Bath score four tries in each and doesn't that, of itself, give proof that Bath gave a decent account of themselves?

No, it doesn't. Because in both cases the opposition defences were woeful.

As subsequent performances have shown, Leeds are currently the Premiership's soft touch, so crossing the whitewash against them is no great shakes. Moreover, Bath's set-piece was atrocious at Headingley.

Against Sale, Bath may have secured a four-try bonus point but only after a succession of defensive blunders that left Sharks head coach Mike Brewer spitting feathers. So, again, no gongs for that win.

Am I being a little on the 'glass half empty' side? Perhaps so. But performances like the one on Friday have to prompt questions.

The consoling thing is that it is a matter of fact that Bath can perform much better.

The final months of last season were proof enough that this is a side capable of turning on the style.

But it remains something of a mystery how the team that produced the silky handling of the sort we saw against Wasps at Twickenham in April can then produce the woeful litany of knock-ons we witnessed on Friday.

It's also a source of comfort for Bath fans that their side sit fourth in the table, despite being very far from hitting top gear.

So it's not all bad. And if they get off to a decent start in the Heineken Cup against Biarritz on Sunday and all (well, most) will be forgotten.

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Attwood aims to keep Borthwick on the sidelines


I interviewed rising Gloucester and England lock Dave Attwood recently as part of research I was doing for Premiership Rugby's forthcoming season handbook/magazine. The man is a mountain; his hands, truly, are shovels. He must also be one of the few tight five forwards around with a degree in philosophy and physics (although, on the topic of unlikely subjects of intellectual study for rugby forwards, I've got a feeling Saracens' Hugh Vyvyan studied theology...). Anyway, I liked Dave. A very level-headed guy with an appetite for hard graft. I expect big things.
The Premiership magazine, by the way, should be out sometime towards the end of September. I'll update when I've got a firm date.


The man who’s pinched Steve Borthwick’s spot in the England Elite Player Squad admits he’s got an eye on next year’s World Cup – but says his first job is rolling up his sleeves at his club.
Dave Attwood shot to prominence during England’s summer tour of Australasia, impressing Martin Johnson with his non-Test performances against the Australian Barbarians.
But now it’s back to the day job at Gloucester. And the 23-year-old is relishing the task, although he admits a starting berth is not guaranteed at his club.
“You can never lose sight of how you get to where you want to go,” he said. “I’ve got big international ambitions, but if I don’t play well for my club I’m not going to get a chance or even a look-in at international level. So it's really important for me to play well for Gloucester.
"But when you get back in to the club environment it’s easy to see why you want to play here.
"I don’t think at all about international rugby when I’m playing for the club, I think about playing for the club and how we can get results here."
Gloucester bade farewell to six players at the end of last season and signed just three. And Attwood believes that such limited change has provided the side with the platform they need to kick on after a disappointing seventh place in last season’s Premiership.
"We've had very few ins and outs over the summer and that's key if you're trying to build form,” he explained.
“Last year there was an enormous overhaul of players, coaches and backroom staff so everything was bound to be a bit more unsettled.
“It's nice this year that there's a lot more consistency. Everyone knows where they stand and we can push hard together.
“Hopefully this year we are a bit more bonded and have got used to playing with each other a bit more, and that ball will bounce a bit more in our favour and we'll get a few more of those results.”
Attwood admits competition for places among Gloucester’s locks is fierce, with Alex Brown, Will James and new signing Jim Hamilton all vying for the 4 and 5 shirts. And he’s modest about his prospects.
"I'm certainly not the finished article and while I'm going to be pushing hard for that starting shirt, I know they offer many of things that I do and in many cases a lot more,” he said.
“There is a lot of competition for shirts. It's by no means a given that I will be starting for Gloucester this year so I've got to focus on getting that shirt at the weekend."

Friday, 19 March 2010

Who are you backing at the big match?

Could the impossible actually occur this weekend at the big match?
Will the team we sometimes struggle to support manage to cause an upset over the in-form side of the tournament?
Well, I don’t know what you think, but I reckon Gloucester might just do it.
The final of the LV= Cup – or the Anglo-Welsh Cup, to you and me – takes place on Sunday, and I have to confess the prospect of the Cherry and Whites taking on Northampton Saints in a winner- takes-all affair has whetted my appetite, even if the match has fallen under the radar a bit.
Along with Bath, it is Gloucester and Northampton who are now playing the most attractive rugby in England, principally because they are not afraid to take that controversial step of spinning the ball wide to their outside backs.
These three sides are living, breathing, try-scoring proof that the Saracens Attitude to Play (SAP) is not the best way to crack the Guinness Premiership nut, but is in fact a guaranteed way of sapping the joy out of the game.
Northampton speedster Chris Ashton has scored more tries this season than some entire teams have managed, all because his team-mates and coaches have grasped that – wonder of wonders – it sometimes pays to get the ball to your line-breakers.
Meanwhile, wing Matt Banahan has touched down in four of Bath’s last five games, while James Simpson-Daniel’s hat-trick for Gloucester against Cardiff Blues in the semi-final of the Anglo- Welsh at the weekend only served to underline how devastatingly effective it can be to get the ball to your speed merchants.
Bath, Gloucester and Northampton are all chucking the ball around and running in tries at the moment. And that’s why they’re winning. Contrast that with England’s efforts during the Six Nations.
With the exception of their opening fixture against Wales, when Martin Johnson’s men achieved the almost unthinkable by scoring three tries, England have lacked any semblance of a cutting edge.
The figure speaks for itself: in their last three games, England have scored two tries. And neither was from a conventional move down the backs. Mathew Tait’s try against Italy might have been the result of neat counter-attacking play and deft handing. But how often have you seen the national side spread the ball wide this Six Nations with real panache, pace and confidence?
Of course I’ll watch England’s finale on Paris on Saturday evening, and I hope to be pleasantly surprised. Perhaps England will run riot over the French, just as they did at Twickenham last season. But I won’t be holding my breath.
No, the Anglo-Welsh Cup final promises to be a far more enjoyable spectacle for English fans – a chance to watch two attack- minded sides going at it.
And I hope Gloucester win. Like Bath, the Cherry and Whites’ season has had its wobbles. Less than three months ago impatient sections of Kingsholm were calling for coach Bryan Redpath’s head. But, like Bath, Gloucester have turned things around through a blend of application, rising confidence and a readiness to put width on the ball.
The similarity of Gloucester’s tumultuous season to Bath’s must surely cause a degree of sympathy in Bath fans.
So, go on, through gritted teeth on Sunday, I dare you to say ‘Glaaaawwster’.