What Gloucester make of hosting Worcester so soon after hearing

George Skivington doesn’t believe the outcome of last week’s Sport Resolutions panel investigation in favour of Gloucester will be a factor in their Premiership Cup semi-final match versus Worcester – even though the Warriors have picked a vastly more experienced XV for the game at Kingsholm.

Worcester boss Steve Diamond had predicted a points split of Gloucester four Warriors two in advance of the hearing verdict into last month’s eleventh-hour cancellation into an important Gallagher Premiership match between the two teams.

Diamond was proven incorrect, though, as the panel found in favour of Gloucester, awarding them a 20-0 win and five matches points following the cancellation that left an expected attendance in excess of 10,000 frustrated as well as BT Sport who had planned to show the game live.  

The Breakdown | Episode 10 | Sky Sport NZ

The Breakdown | Episode 10 | Sky Sport NZ

It was last Thursday when that cancelled Premiership game hearing verdict was published and the clubs will now intriguingly face off this Wednesday night in the semi-final of the Premiership Cup, a tournament that has mostly featured second-string selections all year.

However, while Gloucester are keeping faith in the youngsters that got them to this stage of the tournament, Worcester are instead set to go all out as their XV includes the fit-again Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe, the 2021 Lions tourist, and Tongan No8 Sione Vailanu.   

Asked was it against the spirit of the Premiership Cup that Worcester have chosen a team more loaded with regular first-team players than Gloucester, Skivington replied: “I don’t think that is for me to judge. Clubs are going to approach things differently and if that is the way they do it, that is the way they do it. From my point of view, these young Gloucester lads have got us here so they earn the right to play in the semi-final.

“Look, it’s a game of rugby and that is the decision they have made, to put their full strength squad out. From our point of view, it is going to be tough. It’s going to be a hard game. You have got a British Lion in there, you have got other internationals, a lot of Premiership caps up against a young Gloucester team, it’s going to be a tough day. 

“This is a good opportunity for them to go against a full-strength Worcester side who play regularly week in week out in the Premiership, it’s a great challenge for them. They want to keep learning and developing.”

Skivington was then asked at his weekly media briefing if last week’s Premiership hearing outcome in favour of Gloucester will add some additional spice to this cup meeting with Worcester. “No, no, we parked that the Monday after that Friday (March 25) to be honest with you. As a group inside the squad, we haven’t talked about it once.”

The Premiership Cup is one of three trophies Gloucester are still in the hunt for as they are looking to make the Premiership semi-finals and are in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup. Momentum in the league was checked by last weekend’s sickening finish at Bristol, Skivington’s team losing out in the final moments, and next weekend they face Bath, another neighbour struggling at the wrong end of the table. 

“The reality of our position now is we could finish fourth or ninth, there are five teams very close to each other and it is what it is. From the team that is going to play Bath, there is no point looking past Bath. That is a massive fixture for us and the outcome of that will either push us forward or push us a little bit back but that is as far as we are looking. That is our sole focus.

“I’m not looking too far past last week – Bath did very, very well. Saints had a flurry at the end and scored some great tries, but for a lot of that game Bath looked very strong and they have done that a few times. They haven’t had the season they would want but they have got some quality. That Bath squad is quality, quality players. You underestimate them at your peril.”