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'I'm not going there' - London Irish exit still a sore topic for Skivington

By AAP
Gloucester head coach George Skivington. (Getty)

Gloucester head coach George Skivington dismissed questions about his acrimonious departure from London Irish as he prepares to lead a new era at Kingsholm. Skivington ended his lengthy association with the Exiles by quitting his role as forwards coach to become head coach at their Gallagher Premiership rivals.

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London Irish insisted the 37-year-old’s change of allegiance breached the league’s code of conduct but Gloucester rejected the claims of improper conduct relating to their approach.

As a return to play edges closer, Skivington – whose Exiles contract ran until 2021 – had no interest in talking about the contentious move, while declaring himself “relatively happy” with progress since.

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“I am not going to talk about that, thanks,” he replied when asked about his change of clubs. “I’m not going there.”

Skivington was appointed by the Cherry and Whites in late June, succeeding South African Johan Ackermann, who has taken a role at Japanese Top League side NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes .

“It’s an interesting time to come into a team,” he continued.

“You’ve got to be realistic about what you can implement and what you can put your twist on and also respect what’s here and what’s gone previously.

“We haven’t thrown everything out and started again by any means.

“I am relatively happy with the shifts we’ve made in a short time and the guys are just itching to play rugby and we’re itching to coach rugby.”

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Gloucester were ninth in the Premiership table when the league was suspended in March.

They resume the season free from relegation concerns following Saracens’ demotion for breaching salary cap rules.

Skivington wants to see what his squad are made of during the remaining nine fixtures, starting with a short trip to Worcester on Saturday, August 15.

“This period, there’s not time to do everything you would like to do so I think the biggest thing through this nine games from a new coaching perspective will be just to see people’s character and see what everybody is about,” he said.

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“Things will go your way and things will go against you – there’s probably not a better opportunity to be tested as a player and a coach.

“I think at the end of it, we’ll all have a good grasp on what sort of people we are and what needs working on and what’s already successful.

“All the players here know that positions are up for grabs and what’s gone is gone and it’s a clean sheet, if you like.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
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