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Gloucester swiftly replace Fraser Balmain with ex-England U20 prop

Ex-England U20s prop Alfie Petch (Getty Images)

Gloucester have moved for Biarritz tighthead Alfie Petch to fill the gap in their squad that will be left by Fraser Balmain’s departure for former Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens later this summer. RugbyPass exclusively revealed on Wednesday that Saracens boss Mark McCall is ready to make the former Leicester Tigers man Balmain his sixth signing ahead of next season.

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We now understand that the Cherry and Whites, who finished ninth in the 10-team 2023/24 Premiership after losing 13 of their 18 games, are poised to land the 24-year-old.

Educated at Ivybridge Community College near Plymouth, Petch started his career with the same Cornish club, Bude, as Phil Vickery, the 2003 England World Cup winner and British and Irish Lions tourist.

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Damian de Allende talks about the plaudits heaped on him by his teammates

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Damian de Allende talks about the plaudits heaped on him by his teammates

The former England U20 prop progressed into the Exeter Chiefs academy, making seven first-team appearances, and had a lengthy loan spell with Cornish Pirates to gain valuable experience before moving to Northampton Saints.

Petch moved to the East Midlands with Chiefs teammate Aaron Hinkley in May 2022 and made 21 appearances in his only campaign at Franklin’s Gardens before switching to Biarritz, a surfer’s paradise on France’s Basque coast.

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He played 14 games for the Pro D2 outfit. However, despite performing well, it was announced that he would be leaving when his contract ran out and was seeking a return to the Premiership as soon as possible.

Petch will become George Skivington’s fourth new signing ahead of next season, following Welsh stars Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe, and former England international Christian Wade into Kingsholm.

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Loosehead Harry Elrington, wingers Jonny May and Alex Hearle, fly-half Adam Hastings, and hookers Adam McBurney and Santi Socino are all on their way out of the club.

  • Gloucester confirmed later on Wednesday that they have indeed signed Petch. Click here to read what Skivington had to say about the deal
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K
KB 1 hour ago
France outwrestle All Blacks in titanic Test for one-point win

Im guessing you never lived in NZ under r dern and red commie labour

We were forced and in some cases mandated to take the V - I know of 7 people who D taking it and many with untold injuries - Minimium 12 K D in NZ taking it - it was never safe never effective never worked just Maimed and K'd qe were close to being thrown in quarantine camps Oz Govt MO Health have just recenty completed their c commission - they admit they never had the provable data to justify their actions and decisions & that the public will never accept it ever happening again Ardern is hated here ( 1 M patriots forced her out ) - bloomfield her side kick 2IC dr D excempted 11k from taking it - we (not u) know who they were the Pol and Public servants who knew they were fatal - A zeneca pulled it off the market due 2 excess D's - Japan banned them - called them stupid poison -

P M Shinzo Abe opposed the v and sent over a million doses back - because of that he was murdered - So were the heads of several African nations who also opposed the fake v they were k'd and their replacements allowed their countries to be swamped with them - C was V wasnt bought in fo C - C was bought in for the V

Im not here to talk politics but if want to I can all day especially to a RED neck commie like you - whats it going to be Rugby or Politics or mud slinging give me something to think about - surprise me with something meaty - not just word salad


52 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
France outwrestle All Blacks in titanic Test for one-point win

Im guessing you never lived in NZ under r dern and red commie labour

We were forced and in some cases mandated to take the V - I know of 7 people who D taking it and many with untold injuries - Minimium 12 K D in NZ taking it - it was never safe never effective never worked just Maimed and K'd qe were close to being thrown into quarantine camps C was only a rebranded Flu


Oz Govt MOH have completed their c commission - they admit they never had the proveable data to make justify their statements and decisions & that the public will never accept it ever happening again - they fired rubber B into peaceful protestors Ardern is hated here ( 1 M patriots forced her out ) - bloomfield her side kick 2IC dr D excempted 11k from taking it - we (not u) know who they were the Pol and Public servants who knew they were fatal - A zeneca pulled it off the market due 2 excess D's - Japan banned them - called them stupid poison -

P M Shinzo Abe opposed the v and sent over a million doses back - because of that he was murdered - So were the heads of several African nations who also opposed the fake v they were k'd and their replacements allowed their countries to be swamped with them - C was V wasnt bought in fo C - C was bought in for the V

Im not here to talk politics but if u want to I can all day especially to a RED neck commie like you - whats it going to be Rugby or Politics or mud slinging give me something to think about - surprise me with something meaty - just not word salad


52 Go to comments
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