‘La Rochelle can win Champions Cup’ – George Skivington

David Skippers
Add as a preferred source on Google

Gloucester boss George Skivington believes that La Rochelle are potential Champions Cup winners after seeing his team beaten 27-16 at Kingsholm.

The French side, second in their domestic league behind Toulouse, booked a home quarter-final against Scarlets or Sale Sharks next weekend with the impressive victory.

Full-back Dillyn Leyds and wing Arthur Retiere scored tries for the visitors, with fly-half Ihaia West kicking 11 points and replacement Jules Plisson booting two penalties, including one from 50 metres.

Plenty of firepower

“They have got a very strong squad,” Gloucester head coach Skivington said.

“With the firepower they’ve got, I absolutely think they can go on and win it.

“They are in the quarter-finals and second in the French league. I suppose it depends from their point of view if they feel they have got the squad to fight on both fronts. Only they know that.”

England head coach Eddie Jones looked on as number eight Ruan Ackermann touched down for Gloucester, while fly-half George Barton booted a conversion and three penalties, but La Rochelle never looked like relinquishing control.

On his team’s performance. Skivington added: “In the end, I think we created enough to win the game, but probably the difference was that they took their opportunities with how they finished off their scores.

“We left a little bit out there in terms of points, and I thought their finishing was extremely good.”

Gloucester suffered a major blow ahead of kick-off when their Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit was ruled out due to a tight hamstring.

“He had a bit of a tight hamstring before the game, so we made the decision not to push him through,” Skivington said.

“It was about taking care of him, rather than chancing our arm.

“It is just a decision you have got to make at that moment in time. Obviously, he was gutted not to be involved, but sometimes you have got to make tough calls.”

La Rochelle, European Cup quarter-finalists in 2018, can now look forward to a home last-eight tie.

“There are some very good players in our team, and we have a great mix and variety,” La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara told BT Sport.

“There is a big emphasis in the northern hemisphere on the ruck, but what I learned from my time with the Crusaders (in New Zealand) is you need to keep the ball alive.”

And La Rochelle rugby director Jono Gibbes added: “We realised it was going to be an emotional game and that they weren’t going to give up. We had to keep on it.

“We wanted freshness and class on the field for the last period of the game to close it out, because they are a proud club with a lot of history at Kingsholm.”

 

Gloucester