Fixture Information 

Venue – Twickenham Stadium

VS – Harlequins

Kick off – Saturday 21 May, 3pm

Coverage – BT Sport / ITV / BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Team news

George Skivington has named his side for Saturday’s ‘Big Summer Kick-Off’ as Gloucester Rugby travel to Twickenham to play Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership.

There are 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 the starting line-up.

Santiago Carreras keeps his spot at fullback and is joined in an unchanged back three by Louis Rees-Zammit and Ollie Thorley. Giorgi Kveseladze starts at inside centre and joins Chris Harris in the midfield with Adam Hastings and Charlie Chapman continuing their partnership at halfback.

In the forwards, Val Rapava-Ruskin, Santiago Socino and Kirill Gotovtsev make up the front row with Freddie Clarke and Matias Alemanno at second row. Ruan Ackermann, Ben Morgan and Lewis Ludlow complete the forward pack.

Named as forward replacements are Jack Singleton, Harry Elrington, Fraser Balmain, Andrew Davidson and Jordy Reid with Ben Meehan, Billy Twelvetrees and Tom Seabrook covering the backs.  

George Skivington is looking forward to the game.

“They’re a quality team. They’re the champions of England. 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 very 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 that are coming. There are also some quality players in there who can do some things that you can’t plan for. You’ve got to be ready for anything.

“We’re trying to stress ourselves in training as much as we can. It’s going to be a big day, a big event and it’s exciting.”

Gloucester Rugby

15. Santiago Carreras

14. Louis Rees-Zammit *

13. Chris Harris

12. Giorgi Kveseladze

11. Ollie Thorley *

10. Adam Hastings

9. Charlie Chapman *

1. Val Rapava-Ruskin

2. Santiago Socino

3. Kirill Gotovtsev

4. Freddie Clarke *

5. Matias Alemanno

6. Ruan Ackermann  

7. Lewis Ludlow * (c)

8. Ben Morgan

16. Jack Singleton

17. Harry Elrington

18. Fraser Balmain

19. Andrew Davidson

20. Jordy Reid

21. Ben Meehan

22. Billy Twelvetrees

23. Tom Seabrook *   

*Denotes Academy player or graduate from the Gloucester Rugby Academy.