Gloucester Rugby Head Coach George Skivington has named his side for their 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup curtain raiser tomorrow afternoon.
The Cherry & Whites host Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles at Kingsholm in the opening round of the competition.
Following Jack Singleton’s injury in Gloucester’s bonus point win over Northampton Saints last Saturday, Santiago Socino returns at hooker. Last weekend’s Premiership Player of the Week, Val Rapava-Ruskin, and Fraser Balmain start as the props.
Cam Jordan comes into the second-row with Matias Alemanno.
Freddie Clarke switches from lock to blind-side flanker, where he joins captain Lewis Ludlow and Ben Morgan in the back-row.
Stephen Varney and last weekend’s Player of the Match, Santi Carreras, are the half-backs with Seb Atkinson and Chris Harris in the centres.
One change in the back three sees Alex Hearle come in for Louis Rees-Zammit to join Jonny May and Lloyd Evans.
On the bench, Seb Blake, who scored in the Cherry & Whites cup defeat at Exeter on Sunday, provides cover at hooker for Socino, and Albert Tuisue makes his return from suspension. Harry Elrington, Ciaran Knight, Jack Clement, Charlie Chapman, Billy Twelvetrees and Jack Reeves complete the replacements.
Tickets for the fixture are still available here.
Team News
15. Lloyd Evans*
14. Alex Hearle
13. Chris Harris
12. Seb Atkinson
11. Jonny May*
10. Santiago Carreras
9. Stephen Varney*
1. Val Rapava-Ruskin
2. Santiago Socino
3. Fraser Balmain
4. Cam Jordan*
5. Matias Alemanno
6. Freddie Clarke*
7. Lewis Ludlow* (C)
8. Ben Morgan
16. Seb Blake*
17. Harry Elrington
18. Ciaran Knight*
19. Albert Tuisue
20. Jack Clement*
21. Charlie Chapman*
22. Billy Twelvetrees
23. Jack Reeves*
*Denotes academy graduate.
