32 - 24

Gloucester change 4 from semi-final for Sharks showdown

307 days ago

Santi Carreras of Gloucester Rugby reacts after during the EPCR Challenge Cup match between Gloucester Rugby and ASM Clermont Auvergne at Kingsholm Stadium on December 15, 2023 in Gloucester, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Gloucester have made four changes to the starting XV to face the Sharks on Friday in the Challenge Cup final from the one that triumphed over Benetton in the semi-finals.

Three of the changes come in the pack, with both props changing to take on a formidable Sharks front row at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Loosehead Jamal Ford-Robinson has come into the starting XV to replace Mayco Vivas, who has dropped to the bench. Fraser Balmain starts at tighthead, with Kirill Gotovtsev also joining the replacements.

Walk the Talk – Ardie Savea Trailer | RPTV

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Walk the Talk – Ardie Savea Trailer | RPTV

All Blacks ace Ardie Savea chatted to Jim Hamilton in Japan, reflecting on the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Coming Thursday 23.5 to RugbyPass TV

COMING SOON

The final change in the pack sees Arthur Clark start in place of Freddie Thomas in the second row.

Argentina fullback Santi Carreras has recovered after having his appendix removed to take his place in the starting line-up again, taking the place of Josh Hathaway in the No15 jersey.

Fixture

Challenge Cup

Gloucester

22 - 36

Full-time

Sharks

All Stats and Data

The final will be the last appearance for some of the Cherry and Whites, with both Jonny May and Adam Hastings set to leave Kingsholm at the end of the season.

Gloucester XV
15. Santi Carreras
14. Jonny May
13. Chris Harris
12. Seb Atkinson
11. Ollie Thorley
10. Adam Hastings
9. Caolan Englefield
1. Jamal Ford-Robinson
2. Seb Blake
3. Fraser Balmain
4. Freddie Clarke
5. Arthur Clark
6. Ruan Ackermann
7. Lewis Ludlow (C)
8. Zach Mercer

Replacements
16. Santi Socino
17. Mayco Vivas
18. Kirill Gotovtsev
19. Albert Tuisue
20. Jack Clement
21. Stephen Varney
22. Max Llewellyn
23. Josh Hathaway

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Comments on RugbyPass

CV 22 minutes ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

I think we’ll find out in a few months. France will be competitive. Clubs don’t run players into the ground like they used and rest them more. Last weekend, Toulouse rested their test players against Bordeaux. No Ntamack, Mauvaka, Kinghorn, Capuozzo…. Bordeaux played LBB and Penaud, but took them off once they had a good lead.

86 Go to comments

CV 27 minutes ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

A strong comp has the best players in it and they’re from everywhere. That doesn’t mean you win a WC… Based on your logic, England or Spain should win every FIFA WC and the US every basketball WC. They don’t. In latest FIFA WC final, only two players that came on the park, played in their domestic league (two Frenchmen), the others didn’t.

5 out of 10 RWCs were won by teams with most of their players in SR, I would even argue 4 out of 10. For the first three SR did not exist, England won one, and of the last two SA won, they had their best players based outside SR with their 2019 win and weren’t even in SR for the last one.

86 Go to comments

J Marc 40 minutes ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Hum, maybe after answering every day to the same questions, players say what the journo wish to hear….

86 Go to comments

Rodrigo N 1 hour ago

Santiago Mare: 'We are the team that everybody wants to beat'

Vamos Toto, vamos Pumas!!!!

1 Go to comments

GP 2 hours ago

Ioane Moananu didn't join the Crusaders 'to wait around'

I will. I have heard a few people mention him.

5 Go to comments

Andrew Nichols 3 hours ago

Aaron Smith and ‘three or four other All Blacks’ keen to play for AUNZ XV

Folau..Genia..Quade C and now Smith…any more pensioners want to front up?

1 Go to comments

Head high tackle 4 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Oh please!!!! Really????? So with 5mil people how do you expect NZR to suddenly have a club game that makes money? NZR does the best with its reality. And quite frankly its better than every other team in history.

Look at all the French club resourses, English club money, Irish club money… Whats it done for their Test sides? Sweet FA. Money doesnt buy wins unless its heading into Wayne Barnes offshore bank account.

86 Go to comments

Head high tackle 4 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

No doubt we will find out when we have a world club championship. I wonder if it will ever be held in NZ?

So all those superior comps in the NH and they cant win world cups? What can you possibably base your strength of comp on? I base it on results and so far almost every world cup has been won by SR players

86 Go to comments

Head high tackle 4 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Geez mate if losing means you “didnt bother to look” at the opposition then Ireland didnt “Look” at the opposition in any world cup every. Nor France, Wales, Scotland,etc. At least England can say they “Looked” at the opposition at 1 WC I suppose.

86 Go to comments

Head high tackle 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Our 10s were all injured in that 2007 match. Who was going to take the drop goal? You seem obsessed with 2007. I prefer 1987 and 2011 when we beat France in the final to win world cups. Where was the french drop goal in 2011? Was that arrogance? Did they believe they could outscore NZ? was that arrogance or ignorance? You can bag out NZ all you want over 2007 but we can throw the exact same thing back at France over 2011 where they couldnt win. NZ beat them twice in that tournament.

86 Go to comments

Head high tackle 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

There was no disrespect because they beat us. Youre making that up. There was a real determination to beat you at the WC. We respected Ireland rugby so much we had a specific plan to beat you at the 1/4 final. As soon as the draw was announced I was very keen to see us play you in that match. Your team showed nothing but disrespect with crass comments, arrogant post SA loss comments and critique of some of our best players. You earned our retaliation. That will forever be on you. Now that match was won by 4 points from memory but it was the best 4 point win Ive ever experienced. There is nothing better than beating the class clown/Bully, and particularly at a major game like a WC 1/4 final.

No doubt you have special memories of Ireland wins and no doubt some of those will be wins against NZ, well this is, so far, my best memory against Ireland and even eclipsed the game where we scored after the siren and your boys charged the conversion way before it was taken. The miss would have meant your first win v NZ but Cruden slotted the second conversion to win the game.

86 Go to comments

Head high tackle 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Yep. Ireland got cocky and then got outcoached. Real pretty to watch after the arrogance they showed and after the BS they put out. Calling Cane a “Sh&T Richie” doesnt get more disrespectful and then YES they claimed they would see SA in the final. Etzebet was forced to retract and back away from his statement publicly. Never privately tho.

Leaving Sexton on when he could hardly walk was funny. Coach didnt back his team. Just a couple of stars. Fell at the same hurdle as every other world cup. Now they are past their window and that makes me laugh because of the way their players and fans acted post winning in NZ.

86 Go to comments

Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 5 hours ago

Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Fair points JW - I just think the commercial value of a draft trumps all of the potential issues. Rugby is very slow when it comes to marketing and that is hurting it financially.

33 Go to comments

JW 5 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Lawrence had to be growing old on him. He’s like Rieko or Jordie, seems like he has all the potential to play well at that level.

117 Go to comments

Head high tackle 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Yes true but it wont be those players playing a semi or a final at the WC so what they learn is redundant I suppose. I just think their are many ways to prepare for test rugby and then there are differences in preparing for a 6 week world cup campaign. Most nations do this prep by touring together. France avoids their top guys touring together for any longer than a night away in England or Ireland etc.

Yep we have a small pool in NZ so need to develop our players. I note Aus is sending more B teams away these days too.

86 Go to comments

JW 5 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Huh? Ali is nothing like a pom, where’d that come from? Just half the story?

117 Go to comments

Head high tackle 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Losing 3 finals eh. Only team to do that? Thats because by the time they get to the finals they are argueing with themselves or their coaches. They dont know how to tour together because they DONT tour together. The protected get protected until they get to semi finals or finals then lose it. Ill never forget 2011 when they were even talking about locking the coach out of the dressing room. Perhaps they may have won if they wernt constantly in-fighting.

Constantly made play against the wind? Maybe the “Wind” is of their own making!

86 Go to comments

JW 5 hours ago

Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Again, you’re obviously and factually wrong.

The example of how is even the subject of this article CO LOL!

Commentaries claiming players from this team need to be ignored by the Allblacks

No. The commentary you are critizing is exactly the same as your own. That a play should choose their country and stick with it. Not that criticizing your own view would make any less sense than any of the other points you’ve tried raising here!

Also, you can remove the last sentence of your OP anytime now. It’s making us supporters look bad.

33 Go to comments

Head high tackle 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

I agree. Nothing should have been said and it would have created 6mths less worth of BS. France still didnt win a world cup then tho.

86 Go to comments

JW 6 hours ago

Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

I’m not saying drafting is not a good idea when possible, I’m just saying there are a lot of different dynamics in play that make a draft impossible in places.

Not referring to law international, just the way sports are made up. For instances, the draft works in the NFL (and all american sports) because of the financial incentive. If a sport can’t provide that, then it’s participants are not going to opt in.

33 Go to comments

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