Guinness Prem - Club Watch: Gloucester

Eurosport - Fri, 14 Aug 11:11:00 2009

Eurosport-Yahoo! continues its pre-season preview of the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs with a look at Gloucester.

Bryan Redpath - Gloucester - 0

Gloucester

A new era gets underway at Kingsholm next season as Bryan Redpath (pictured) looks to build a side that can take that extra step and finally secure Premiership success for the proud West Country club.

Redpath takes over as head coach from his former boss Dean Ryan, who despite leading his troops to the top of the league after three regular seasons was unable to clinch the title and twice lost in the Premiership final.

The Cherry and Whites did win the 2003 Powergen Cup and 2006 European Challenge Cup under Ryan, but with the strength of his squad the Kingsholm faithful had reasons to expect more success. The fact they only once got past the group stages of the Heineken Cup was also a mark against former England back-rower Ryan.

Having missed out on last season's Premiership play-offs, the final straw for owner Tom Walkinshaw came in Anglo-Welsh Cup final when Gloucester were hammered 50-12 by an inspired Cardiff Blues - a month later Ryan was handed his P45.

During his tenure Ryan developed a youthful squad brimming with talent, but also rather lightweight against the league's big boys. They were excused early missed chances to secure silverware due to their tender years, but as they matured and success failed to come Walkinshaw clearly felt it time to build a new squad under a new head coach.

A number of those young tyros have moved on this summer, including England prospects Ryan Lamb and Anthony Allen, while Olly Barkley has returned to Bath and experienced trio Gareth Cooper, Iain Balshaw and Willie Walker have moved to Cardiff Blues, Biarritz and Worcester respectively.

In their place Redpath has added some power in the form of Pacific Islander Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, while Nicky Robinson and Tom Voyce from Cardiff Blues and Wasps respectively will add experience to the squad.

There is still time for a couple more players to be added to the Kingsholm payroll - especially after Seru Rabeni's move fell through due to a knee injury suffered playing for Fiji - but it looks likely Gloucester will be content to trim what was a large squad.

But they still have plenty of strength across the park and maybe a change in coaching hierarchy and one or two new faces is all they will need to finally win that elusive league title.

2008/9 season

Premiership: 6th

Heineken Cup: Failed to progress from Pool 6

Anglo-Welsh Cup: Runners-up

Players in:

Pierre Capdevielle (Brive), Paul Doran-Jones (London Welsh), Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (Bath), Nicky Robinson (Cardiff Blues), Tom Voyce (Wasps).

Players out:

Jack Adams (Bristol), Anthony Allen (Leicester), Iain Balshaw (Biarritz), Olly Barkley (Bath), Gareth Cooper (Cardiff Blues), Jack Forster (Sale Sharks), Mark Foster (Exeter), Ryan Lamb (London Irish), Carlos Nieto (Saracens), Dan Norton (Bristol), Willie Walker (Worcester), David Young (Edinburgh).

First six fixtures:

Sept 5 Bath (H)

Sept 13 London Irish (A)

Sept 19 Northampton (H)

Sept 27 Saracens (A)

Oct 4 Leeds (A)

Oct 24 Wasps (H)

2009/10 Prediction: Top four

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport

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  1. I am not sure that Redpath can do better than­ Ryan,unless he can produce the old Gloster pack ­ who did not have the comfort and luxury of the ­ present day forwards. The big problem last season ­ was the forwards, who did not stop the opposing ­ forwards getting the ball in the rucks and­ mauls,and many times were dominated and produced ­ no early ball there were also problems at the ­ lineout.The forwards were not feared like the ­ old Gloster packs one could see the weakness of­ the forwards from last December. The backs like ­ Lamb ( who has a massive tackling weakness) Allen ­ and Foster can
    only play when they have decent ­ ball. You cannot play expansive rugby without good­ quick ball. I think Walkinshaw has let the wromg ­ part of the squad go he should have ditched ­ some forwards as well

    From Fitz, on Sat 15 Aug 10:46AM
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