Gloucester Rugby travel to Lyon for Round 1 of the European Challenge Cup on Friday evening. Ahead of the game, Jack Clement previewed the fixture.

On starting the European Challenge Cup

“We’re hugely excited. We’ve had a really good week’s prep so far and we’ve got a nice blend of some youth and experience, so I’m really excited for this Friday night. We know it’s going to be a stern test against a very good side in France and Lyon are going well in their league. We’re really excited. We’ve identified some areas we can attack and some areas where they are strong. We’re looking to bring some momentum from the Premiership and the Premiership Cup that we’ve built over the last couple of weeks and really attack this game.

On traveling to France

“It’s a complexity but at the same time we’re all professional athletes. We’ve all dealt with different things that have been thrown at us in the past. I don’t think it will be a major issue for us. If anything, it will be a great learning curve for a lot of us young lads who might not have experienced this before. An away trip to Lyon and France is always special so we’re really looking forward to it."

On strength and depth in the squad

“We’re building real strength and depth in our squad. In my position in the backrow, there’s some really good players of an international calibre. It’s really good for me to learn off these lads day in day out as it makes me a better player because healthy competition only makes the squad better. It’s a real bonus and hopefully it will push us on to be a better team."

On Lyon

“They’re a good team. I think they’re 4th in the Top 14 currently and they’ve got some good threats. We know what challenges are lying ahead. At the same time, we’ve got some very good strengths and we’re building some good momentum in the forward pack and the backs are going well so it will be a very good game. Friday night, our first European game of the year with a good crowd. The boys are really excited and I can’t wait to get out there myself and we’ll go out there and give it our best shot.”

Our European Challenge Cup campaign will continue against Benetton at Kingsholm on Friday 17 December. Tickets are available here.

Jack Clement "can't wait to get out there" against Lyon

Related News