The Gloucester verdict on back three Carreras as the Argentina No10

Gloucester boss George Skivington has given his verdict on watching club full-back/wing Santiago Carreras become the regular starting out-half for Argentina in recent times. With Nicolas Sanchez more often than not injured, the 24-year-old Carreras has started 13 of his country’s last 14 Test matches wearing the No10 jersey and has again been chosen at out-half for this Saturday’s Rugby Championship finale versus the Springboks in Durban.

It was at the start of 2021 when the Argentine made his first Gloucester start on the right wing and he has since been selected by Skivington at full-back and left wing in his 29 career starts for the English club, last appearing wearing the No15 jersey in the league win last June over Saracens.

Carreras has since been away on international duty with Argentina, starting two games in their three-match Test series victory over Scotland in July at out-half and then going to keep the No10 jersey for The Rugby Championship with Sanchez back in the injury doldrums.

Gloucester have used Scottish international Adam Hastings and George Barton as their starting tens in their two 2022/23 outings in the Premiership and Premiership Rugby Cup and Hastings has been chosen to start this Saturday’s league game away at Saracens.

However, what does Skivington make of seeing Carreras develop as a Test-level out-half regular with Argentina and is half-back a role he can see his back three player occupy when he returns to Gloucester when the Rugby Championship finishes up this weekend?

“Me and Santi have had a couple of conversations over the last few months but nothing around playing ten,” admitted Skivington. “Santi is a brilliant player and a brilliant bloke. Genuinely, Santi is one of those guys who will come back in and say what is best for the team, what do you want me to do? I’ll have a chat with him.

“I’m actually enjoying seeing him play ten but we have got some good tens in the building. The more competition the better but ultimately that is probably not the role I see him playing in our squad – but I will certainly have the conversation with him to see where his head is at.

“He is a brilliant team man and it is certainly a trait with the Argentinian boys. As a group, they very much do what is right for the team even if they don’t think it is right for them.”

Gloucester (vs Saracens, Saturday): 15. Lloyd Evans; 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Mark Atkinson, 11. Ollie Thorley; 10. Adam Hastings, 9. Ben Meehan; 1. Harry Elrington, 2. Jack Singleton, 3. Fraser Balmain, 4. Freddie Clarke, 5. Alex Craig, 6. Ruan Ackermann (capt), 7. Harry Taylor, 8. Albert Tuisue. Reps: 16. Santiago Socino, 17. Val Rapava-Ruskin, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. Cameron Jordan, 20. Jordy Reid, 21. Charlie Chapman, 22. Billy Twelvetrees, 23. Kyle Moyle.