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Today
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Gallagher PremiershipGloucester

Vote of confidence for struggling Gloucester boss George Skivington

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Former London Irish assistant George Skivington has endured a difficult time since becoming a first-time head coach at Gloucester last summer, but he has been given a vote of confidence from rival boss Pat Lam to stick at it ahead of Friday night’s bottom versus top clash in the Gallagher Premiership. 

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Last on the table after just a single win in eight outings, Gloucester have it all to when they host league leaders Bristol at Kingsholm. However, rather than feel bleak about the results he has suffered so far on his watch, Skivington has been encouraged to look on his experience at Gloucester as invaluable as he serves his first-time head coach apprenticeship.

Lam is now viewed as one of the most successful coaches around, leading Bristol to European Challenge Cup glory last season while also taking little-fancied Connacht to Guinness PRO12 glory in 2016.

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England boss Eddie Jones on his non-selections of uncapped pair Paolo Odogwu and Harry Randall

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England boss Eddie Jones on his non-selections of uncapped pair Paolo Odogwu and Harry Randall

However, he claims those successes stemmed from his traumatic experience in charge of the Super Rugby Blues in Auckland, a difficult spell that resulted in his sacking in 2012, and he suggests the pain Skivington is currently encountering will only make him a stronger and better coach in the long run. 

“People highlight 2012 and how terrible it was you got sacked – it was the best year that stands out because that is where I got most of my learning,” said Lam, whose Bears team stayed top of the Premiership despite last week’s defeat Sale, the club that also has a new first-time head coach at the helm in Alex Sanderson. “It’s like the game last week, you get your learnings. 

“What I got (in 2012) was clarity about making sure when I go to my next job there are so many things that have to be put in place so you can do your job, just coaching. What every one sees is the results but even the way George speaks very well and a lot of players speak highly of him, I can see he has a great career ahead of him but only he knows the environment he is in and there is so much that goes.

“The learning that George is getting at the moment is massive in his development as a coach and you can see within his game what he is trying to build. I don’t like any coach getting sacked but what we do, it is part of it. What I’m hoping is that he has got good support around him at Gloucester because he has got a really good future.”

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Comments on RugbyPass

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GrahamVF 8 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

There is a continued murmur in local circles about reciprocal bi annual tours between SA and Argentine. Whether it's full blooded test tours or development tours or a mixture - ie touring with a "test" 20 and a development 20 the cream of which will be used in tests. We actually really enjoy playing the Argies and I believe they enjoy playing us. It goes back seventy years to the Junior Bok tours to Argentine involving Isaac van Heerden.

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GrahamVF 15 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

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GrahamVF 16 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

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GrahamVF 20 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

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GrahamVF 24 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

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GrahamVF 28 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

157 Go to comments
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GrahamVF 29 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

157 Go to comments
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GrahamVF 33 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

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GrahamVF 38 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

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GrahamVF 41 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

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GrahamVF 51 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

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GrahamVF 54 minutes ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago
How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour

Don't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.

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mused 4 hours ago
Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Hopefully Joe stays where he is. That would mean Les, McKellar, larkham and Cron should as well. It’s the stability we need in the state programs. But, if Joe goes, RA with its current financial situation will be forced into promoting from within. And this will likely destabilise other areas.

To better understand some of the entrenched bitterness of those outside of NZ and NSW (as an example 😂), Nic, there is probably a comparison to the old hard heads of welsh rugby who are still stuck in the 1970s. Before the days where clubs merged, professionalism started, and the many sharp knives were put into the backs of those who loved the game more than everyone else. I’m sure you know a few... But given your comparison of rugby in both wales and Australia, there are a few north of the tweed that will never trust a kiwi or NSWelshman because of historical events and issues over the history of the game. It is what it is. For some, time does not heal all wounds. And it is still festering away in some people. Happy holidays to you. All the best in 2025.

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Cantab 4 hours ago
Leinster player ratings vs Connacht | 2024/25 URC

Not surprised to see Barretts rating. He has always been a solid defender for the ABs but not particularly effective in attack situations.

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Cantab 5 hours ago
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’ under Razor

Absolutely. Expect Crusaders to be a much tougher proposition this year as like the ABs last season was a transition one

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Cantab 5 hours ago
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’ under Razor

A transition stage still for the ABs even though I believe progress has been made in replacing players who have either retired or are now plying their abilities elsewhere. Challenge now is to develop greater depth across the board and fully correct remaining deficiencys in some positions

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GP 6 hours ago
The top 50 prospects under 23 in New Zealand rugby

Really interesting article.Canterbury and Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah, who debuted for the Crusaders before Canterbury , he is going places. Fellow Canterbury lock, who has debuted for the Crusaders in Europe, is big and athletic. His father Graham played in the NPC winning Canterbury side of 1997. His Uncle is former AB Chris Jack. Makos and Crusader no 8 Fletcher Anderson is developing fast with more experience. First-five James White did play well for Canterbury in the loss to Wellington. No harm in first-fives who can play fullback.

36 Go to comments
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LONG READ Does South Africa have a future in European competition? Does South Africa have a future in European competition?
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