RugbyRebels

Gloucester Rugby team news

15. Lloyd Evans*
14. Jonny May*
13. Chris Harris
12. Seb Atkinson
11. Ollie Thorley*
10. Santi Carreras
9. Ben Meehan
1. Val Rapava-Ruskin
2. Seb Blake*
3. Kirill Gotovtsev
4. Freddie Clarke*
5. Matias Alemanno
6. Ruan Ackermann
7. Lewis Ludlow (c)*
8. Albert Tuisue

Replacements
16. Henry Walker*
17. Harry Elrington
18. Jamal Ford-Robinson
19. Cam Jordan*
20. Jack Clement*
21. Charlie Chapman*
22. Tom Seabrook*
23. Louis Rees-Zammit*


Harlequins:
1. Joe Marler (259) – Captain
2. Jack Musk (34)
3. Wilco Louw (60)
4. Dino Lamb (75)
5. Irne Herbst (16)
6. James Chisholm (127)
7. Luke Wallace (192)
8. Tom Lawday (71)
9. Danny Care (351)
10. Tommy Allan (28)
11. Josh Bassett (10)
12. Andre Esterhuizen (62)
13. Oscar Beard (23)
14. Cadan Murley (92)
15. Nick David (25)

Replacements:

16. Sam Riley (22) 17. Fin Baxter (18) 18. Simon Kerrod (91) 19. George Hammond (35) 20. Matas Jurevicius (17) 21. Scott Steele (27) 22. Will Edwards (24) 23. Luke Northmore (52)

A pretty strong Quins side considering the England absentees. Brilliant to have James Chisholm back. That is a timely return indeed.

I’m surprised Beard is preferred to Northmore at 13.

Northmore seems to have been out a while so maybe just easing him back in. Chisholm is definitely needed, but that looks a long way from the first choice backrow.

Interesting to see Marler get the captaincy again and lets hope Allan isn't too battered from France/England in the last 2 weeks. Can't imagine he now wants Tuisue running at him too much.

Of course no Lewies, but he did play 2 consecutive games in a row I guess.

Good to see Riley involved in a matchday squad. Seems to have hardly played this season.

Atkinson in the Glos midfield is one to keep an eye on.

Atkinson is doing very well, will be good to see how he manages Andre, that's a big test. Glos fielding a decent side but down to bare bones with subs. Can see this game easily gong either way.

Yeah Atkinson Vs Andre will be a really interesting battle. Atkinson has been a spectacular bit of business for Glaws so far.

Where did he come from? I assume he was academy for some reason.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 4:57 pm Where did he come from? I assume he was academy for some reason.

wuss I think

Yep. He came from Worcester.

I’m pretty sure he made his first team debut vs. Quins at Sixways. I remember thinking ‘flip me, a debut at 12 against Esterhuizen’ and as it happened, he passed the test with flying colours. I’ve been keeping a close eye on him ever since.

Banquo wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:30 pm

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 4:57 pm Where did he come from? I assume he was academy for some reason.

wuss I think

Indeed, and it was a wild thing, because he wasn't a first team XXIII player for Worcester - just a very promising England U20 academy product who was getting the occasional 1st XV appearance for experience. However, as soon as he moved, it was straight into the Glaws 1st XV and he hasn't relinquished the shirt since. Obviously injuries had a lot to do with that, but he's certainly seized his opportunity with both hands.

Puja

Our pick for the England shirt. Ain’t that right Puja.
F Smith, Atkinson & Lawrence ….

Glos missing their 3 senior hookers for the rest of the season; Singleton, Socino & Mcguigan. Hard lines.

Puja wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:16 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:30 pm

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 4:57 pm Where did he come from? I assume he was academy for some reason.

wuss I think

Indeed, and it was a wild thing, because he wasn't a first team XXIII player for Worcester - just a very promising England U20 academy product who was getting the occasional 1st XV appearance for experience. However, as soon as he moved, it was straight into the Glaws 1st XV and he hasn't relinquished the shirt since. Obviously injuries had a lot to do with that, but he's certainly seized his opportunity with both hands.

Puja

Mark Atkinson going down with that nasty injury certainly helped him out though Billy Twelvetrees is still there and getting no look in at all (bar the lambs to the slaughter game vs Leinster). I think he only made it as far as second choice behind Venter at Wuss.

Wuss would have had a great midfield for some time with Fin Smith, Seb Atkinson and Ollie Lawrence. Not a surprise other teams swooped in for them so quick. All three likely to be in the England mix post world cup.

18 tackles 1 missed and 7 carries for 42m. We talked up the right man, Quins trying to target Seb Atkinson and the lad has done well. 18 tackles in 70 mins is a bloody good bit of work for a 12 and then a nice bit of hands for that Carreras try. I wonder if Borthwick is watching and has the opportunity to call him up.

great game

FKAS wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:20 pm 18 tackles 1 missed and 7 carries for 42m. We talked up the right man, Quins trying to target Seb Atkinson and the lad has done well. 18 tackles in 70 mins is a bloody good bit of work for a 12 and then a nice bit of hands for that Carreras try. I wonder if Borthwick is watching and has the opportunity to call him up.

As I said earlier in he thread, I really like (Seb) Atkinson, but I think it’s just too soon for him. I see him as more of a post RWC prospect.

Good game that. Seb had a stormer. Too early for England I think, next 6N perhaps.

p/d wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 9:18 pm Our pick for the England shirt. Ain’t that right Puja.
F Smith, Atkinson & Lawrence ….

Puja!!! Can we start to believe

So we can dare to dream of shifting old man Kelly?

p/d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 10:27 pm

p/d wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 9:18 pm Our pick for the England shirt. Ain’t that right Puja.
F Smith, Atkinson & Lawrence ….

Puja!!! Can we start to believe

If you think Farrell's slow at 12...

Puja

What an entertaining game with both sides wishing to play positively! There can’t ever have been many Premiership matches with no penalty goals. Over to the statisticians!

Both Sebs were awesome for us. Atkinson made 22 tackles and is clearly a young man with a very bright future. Blake has come on in leaps and bounds and, for a very big man, gets round the park. Not many hookers play the full 80 and rack up 20 tackles and a try in the process.

Also, Santi Carreras is an actual rugby god.

Fabulous match. Great entertainment for the neutral. Huge credit to Quins for scoring that try at the end to get another BP.

Seb Atkinson looks like a real talent. If he carries on like this a call up to the WC training squad cannot be discounted. Also thought the young hooker had an excellent game. As did VRR - inevitably. LRZ is ridiculously fast. On a couple of his runs he was making quick men look like plodders.

Scrumhead wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:37 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:20 pm 18 tackles 1 missed and 7 carries for 42m. We talked up the right man, Quins trying to target Seb Atkinson and the lad has done well. 18 tackles in 70 mins is a bloody good bit of work for a 12 and then a nice bit of hands for that Carreras try. I wonder if Borthwick is watching and has the opportunity to call him up.

As I said earlier in he thread, I really like (Seb) Atkinson, but I think it’s just too soon for him. I see him as more of a post RWC prospect.

I was thinking similar but if you're good enough you're old enough and being targeted by the Quins attack and Andre is as close to an international test of his test as he's likely to get (outside of playing Leinster or Toulouse). Quins definitely tried to rough him up a bit (see the black eye he was sporting) and he didn't back down.

I'd like to see him in the squad so he can start learning the systems, even if he doesn't play in the 6N he becomes a more realistic option going forward.

Atkinson looked excellent in his run of games for Wuss last season. Overall he’s only played 20 first team games with ten of those being prem. A few little mistakes here and there in that game, but a huge amount of positives. When he got game time for Wuss he came on leaps and bounds. Same now with Glaws.