Skivington: Gloucester ‘in dire straits for numbers’ as crisis worsens

Gloucester boss George Skivington was left counting the cost of a fourth successive Gallagher Prem defeat and more worrying injuries following a 49-34 loss against Bristol at Kingsholm.

Gloucester had a double-figure injury count before kick-off, but then saw Ollie Thorley carried off after just five minutes before his fellow wing Ben Loader and captain James Venter both suffered hamstring problems.

“I haven’t got an explanation for it,” rugby director Skivington said.

“What’s your worst case? And it has happened.

“Ollie looked pretty bad – I think he knocked himself out. Ben Loader hurt his hamstring, I don’t know how badly. James Venter hurt his hamstring.

“That’s enough, isn’t it? We are up to 19-20 players (sidelined) now. I honestly haven’t got an answer. We are in dire straits for numbers now, that’s for sure.

“We will look at ourselves, and it is how we manage ourselves through this spell. Management-wise it is a headache, emotionally it is a headache because this isn’t where we wanted to be, four games in.

“I thought the boys looked more connected than they have done the last few weeks, but with the injuries it is just challenging. What could go wrong is going wrong.

“The pressure is always on, but you just live under pressure whatever you are doing. It’s more working out what we are going to do and finding a solution – that is the real management challenge at the moment.

“Exeter away next Saturday, seriously depleted, we have got to work out a smart way of playing to try and get whatever we can out of that game.”

The west country derby clash produced 12 tries, but Bristol made it three wins out of four thanks to doubles from Gabriel Oghre and Kalaveti Ravouvou, while Fitz Harding, Viliame Mata and Sam Worsley also crossed, with Worsley adding seven conversions for a 19-point haul.

Gloucester conjured five tries of their own – Will Joseph, Matias Alemanno, Seb Blake, Josiah Edwards-Giraud and Venter crossing – with Ross Byrne kicking three conversions and a penalty.

But Skivington’s team were once again left wondering what might have been, as a winning touch continued to elude them.

Bristol’s absentees included Louis Rees-Zammit, Ellis Genge and a suspended Tom Jordan, and they fielded only one member of the back division that started their Prem season opener against Leicester just 19 days ago.

Bristol rugby director Pat Lam said: “I am really proud of this group. We are adjusting and adapting with players out and new players coming in. We have reshaped the schedule.

“I am blowing the whistle a lot at training, which I don’t normally do, because I don’t want any more injuries. There are a few boys in pink bibs, which means don’t touch them.

“To get five points here against a dangerous side was pleasing. I feel for George because he has had a lot of injuries as well, and we both know what each other is going through.”