Skivington keen to build identity

GLOUCESTER won their first trophy for nine years last season and reached the Challenge Cup final, but when George Skivington went on holiday the day after the campaign ended the words in his head were never again.

- PAUL REES

“Last season was not enjoyable,” said Skivington, Gloucester’s director of rugby who is in his fifth year in charge of the Kingsholm club. “In a professional career that has been full of highs and lows, it was the first time I could say that.

“I am proud of what I do and what I stand for and I have had a lot of time to reflect on last season. My focus going into the new campaign is on identity: we once had a good solid one, a core of what we stood for, but we lost it and became inconsistent, not just in terms of winning and losing but in matches. It was nowhere near good enough.”

Gloucester won the Premiership Cup, producing their best half of the season in defeating Exeter in the semi-final, and their only non-league defeat came against the Sharks in the Premiership Cup final.

In contrast, their Premiership form hit the floor after victories in the opening two rounds. They finished one off the bottom and at one point lost a record nine matches in a row, forcing Skivington to prioritise the cup competitions in the new year, and they were thumped 90-0 at Northampton.