Skivington: We're going to roll dice and go for it

THE Cherry and Whites are the enigmas of the Premiership.

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The club are well supported with the Shed at Kingsholm as intimidating as the forwards there used to be and Gloucester is a rugby city, but for most of the professional era they have struggled to add up to the sum of their parts.

They have been more effective in the cups, able to rise to a one-off occasion, than in the league where consistency is the key to success. They have been as up and down as an umbrella on a showery day, sky high one week six feet under the next.

The last couple of seasons have been particularly tough in the Premiership.

They have won 12 of their 38 matches and finished one of the bottom two each time having been fifth in 2021-22.

Without home form to fall back on, they found themselves adrift.

Matters reached boiling point last season whenGloucester were annihilated 90-0 at Northampton. They had taken a virtual reserve team to Franklin's Gardens to face the league leaders to focus on their Challenge Cup campaign, and had no response to opponents who were high on confidence.

Injuries have played a part in the last two campaigns.