Gloucester Rugby host Sale Sharks in Round 4 of the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday. Ahead of the fixture, we caught up with head coach George Skivington who talked about the new training facility, the Worcester win and preparing for Sale Sharks.

On the new indoor pitch

“It’s brilliant. We were pretty excited about getting to the point where it would be done and now it is, it’s outstanding.

“We did a skills session here this morning and it allows us to go straight out of the gym and get on with things. When the weather gets bad it allows us to have some lineout and scrumming sessions and the backs can work on their skills without the interference of bad weather.”

On the Worcester win

“We were pleased to have gone to Worcester and pick up the win. We did a lot of good stuff in the first two weeks which probably didn’t transfer onto the scoreboard but we’re also very aware that there was a lot of stuff that we left out there. We weren’t 100% happy with everything that we did. It’s nice to win and get that winning feeling but there’s a long way for us to go and the boys have been very honest about the few areas that we need to get better at.”

On Sale Sharks

“Sale are a top four team. They are massively physical; they’ve got a great work rate and an aggressive defence and a big pack. We know they are a well-oiled machine for a little while now. It’s a massive challenge for us and it’s one we’re working hard to try and get on top of.”

On the driving maul

“Our maul has been really strong this season and the back end of last year. We got some good results out of it last weekend. The boys have worked really hard on it and we’re happy with the way that it’s going. Sale are a big pack, very physical so we’ll keep working hard in that area but you could see when they played Exeter that it’s going to be a very confrontational game. We’ve just got to work hard.”

On returning internationals

“It’s great to have some of those guys trickling back in. It brings real energy. They’re all really good guys and they all offer a lot off the field as well as on the field. It’s nice to be getting to the point now where we’re getting some faces back in.

“It’s great to see them coming back in with a smile on their face and obviously the lads who have been away have got to see the new facility and the new gym and how things are starting to shape up for the club which is massively exciting.”

On travelling support at Worcester

“The travelling support at the weekend was unbelievable and I think when a couple of those mauls were rumbling down the field it sounded like a home crowd rather than an away one. We’re always really grateful for anyone who comes down and travels and comes to Kingsholm. Leicester at home was a really exciting game but we’ll be working really hard to make the result the one we want to see.”

It's not too late to get your tickets. It's Family Day at Kingsholm which means kids tickets are just £10 everywhere in the stadium. CLICK HERE TO BUY

Skivington calls Gloucester Rugby to "work hard" against physical Sale

Related News