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Gloucester swiftly replace Fraser Balmain with ex-England U20 prop

287 days ago

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.

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.

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

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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.

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.

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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SeanBrody 2 minutes ago

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I don’t understand the focus on Sing. Her one attribute that is better than everyone else’s is her place kicking, though it is not infallible (PWR final) and both Harrison and Scarratt can be very good off the tee. In other respects, she defends OK but does not pose the attacking threat that Kildunne, Dow, Breach and MacDonald (plus Millie David) do and if she does break clear is quite slow in comparison. I think she will be fortunate to make the RWC squad. She is a good player who would make most other teams, but the Red Roses would be a lesser team if some others were left out at her expense.

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Cooperick 1 hour ago

The defining moment that will 'raise massive question marks' for Ireland

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CV 2 hours ago

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

You can’t suddenly have a national club game in NZ. Still, our model in NZ is too expensive to run. 26 provincial unions, a Maori union a school union and probably a university union too, all held up by NZR if they make a loss, who would be in dire straits without the Silver Lake money themselves NZR contracts and pays our SR players… And one team has to bring most of the cash in by playing 13 or 14 tests a season. We can’t keep going like that.

French club money hasn’t done much for their test sides because their clubs never cared much for the national team. They got foreign players in all the time (at the expense of home grown players) until they were forced by the FFR to select 15 home grown players for the matchday 23 in 2017. Only then they started to invest in academies. France have been in every U20 WC final since 2019 and only lost one. And the FFR and clubs actually started to work together, which resulted in France sending development sides on their July tours for years now. It’s only just started. French rugby is a beast and it’s awake now.

Clubs in Europe are there for themselves, in every sport. Not for the national team. That’s the union’s or federation’s job. EPL clubs don’t care much about the FA either. Most only field 2 or 3 Englsh players every game.

87 Go to comments

CV 3 hours 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.

87 Go to comments

CV 3 hours 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.

87 Go to comments

J Marc 3 hours 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….

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Head high tackle 7 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.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 8 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

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 8 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.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 8 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.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 8 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.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 8 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.

87 Go to comments

LONG READ

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

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Gloucester swiftly replace Fraser Balmain with ex-England U20 prop

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

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

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