George Skivington's surprising revelation over Ross Byrne's reported exit

Gloucester boss George Skivington admits that he is in the dark about the Sharks’ offering out-of-favour fly-half Ross Byrne an escape route back to the United Rugby Championship this summer.

The former Ireland fly-half, who arrived at Kingsholm last summer on a three-year deal from Leinster, started the season as the Cherry and Whites’ first choice NO.10 but hasn’t played since the PREM Rugby Cup win over Sale Sharks in February.

Dublin-born Byrne, 31, is struggling to even make Gloucester’s match day squad after Charlie Atkinson’s successful switch from full-back, which has alerted the Sharks, who have failed with bids for Wallabies star James O’Connor, and Italy ace Tommaso Allan.

The signing of Byrne, a member of Ireland’s 2023 Grand Slam-winning side, was seen as a real statement of intent, but Skivington says that he has stepped back from recruitment since Rob Burgess returned to the club as rugby general manager.

“I’ll be honest with you, that’s the beauty of Rob Burgess coming in. Anything going on in the background is all up to Rob these days. I can talk to you on the level like I did last week about selection and that sort of thing with Charlie Atkinson.

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“But all that stuff, I’m very much leaving to Rob. If there’s ever anything with players going forward, I’ll just come in right at the back end of it. I’m happy that Rob’s having all the conversations, and we’ll do all the legwork.

“I can’t wash my hands of it and not be accountable right at the back end, because actual decisions have to be made. But my head is a lot clearer without talking to agents all the time or having daily conversations with people in the commercial team, et cetera.

“Rob’s been brilliant in the last month or so. Whatever he’s been in, it’s night and day from what it was. I’m always going to want as many players in the building as possible in as many positions from my point of view, I’m always going to be greedy as a coach,” he said.