As omens go, starting a professional tournament in February 2020 might have proven a disaster as after only three games the world shut-down, teams had to be dismembered, and the future looked ominous.
He had played off the bench in the 2019 final win over Leinster in Newcastle, but that celebratory Saracens day wasn’t what came to his mind when quizzed at the 2024/25 tournament launch in Cardiff.
Last week’s post-Christmas block of fixtures took us beyond the halfway point in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and a number of the round nine results have certainly whetted the appetite as English ruby welcomes in the new year.
It was the French who caught the eye in round one with six of their eight teams winning, including Stade Rochelais and Toulon away from home.
This weekend’s return of the Gallagher Premiership following a five-week hibernation was given its banner headline on Wednesday when Joe Marler confirmed he will retire from playing with immediate effect following Friday night’s Harlequins match at home to Bristol.
.Gloucester boss George Skivington hailed the impact his Welsh stars are making this season after the five players selected by Warren Gatland for the Autumn Nations Series shone in the 36-7 Premiership win over Newcastle.
Tomos Williams signed off his final game for Gloucester ahead of the Autumn Nations Series with a virtuoso performance at Kingsholm as his side comfortably beat Newcastle 36-7.
If they continue down this same way, they will fail to see how good things could be. If they expand his role and put the pieces in place to move towards a more expansive structure, they will reap the benefits.
Budgets, players to watch, arrivals and departures - and an overview of each club at the start of the new season. Welcome to the Rugby Pass club-by-club Top 14 season preview