Gloucester side for Premiership opener

September 20, 2024
515
Ultimate Rugby

The Cherry & Whites side to kick off their Gallagher Premiership campaign with a home fixture against Saracens at Kingsholm on Saturday has been revealed.

Christian Wade, Gareth Anscombe and Tomos Williams are all set to make their competitive debuts for the Club, having joined in the summer. Wade is no stranger to the Premiership though, from his time as a Wasp. He's currently only 19 tries away from Chris Ashton's record number of Premiership scores.

Up front, Val Rapava-Ruskin has overcome injury troubles that marred his 2023/24 season and will start in the front row alongside Jack Singleton, who spent last season on loan at Toulon and Afo Fasogbon, who won the U20s World Championship with England this summer.

Freddie Thomas starts alongside Mati Alemanno in the front row. Alemanno has been released back to the Cherry & Whites by his nation, Argentina, after recently helping them beat the All Blacks in New Zealand.

Ruan Ackermann, Lewis Ludlow and Zach Mercer form a formidable back row, with Ludlow taking the armband for another season.

New lads, Williams and Anscombe start at half-back. The duo played alongside each other for five years at Cardiff, including defeating Gloucester in the Challenge Cup Final in 2018.

Max Llewellyn is joined by Chris Harris in the midfield, with Ollie Thorley, Christian Wade and George Barton providing firepower out wide.

On the bench, Mayco Vivas alongside returns from international duty with Argentina, alongside the experienced Kirill Gotovtsev as prop cover.

Seb Blake, Freddie Clarke, Jack Clement, Caolan Engelfield, Charlie Atkinson and Seb Atkinson make up the rest of the replacements.