Forget
your flip-flops, Friday night was all about grabbing your brolly and
donning a mac ahead of the Premiership Rugby 7s Series Finale at the
home of the Harlequins, Twickenham Stoop.
Oh
the irony when the #Summerof7s is on!
The
impact of the rain on the performance of all teams was obvious.
Slipping, sliding and constant handling errors forced play to become
loose and frantic in what could only be described as an ultimate down
pour.
But
that didn't stop 2013 Champions, Gloucester, from defending their 7s
Series title in seemingly effortless and superior style, with a 12-5
victory over Newport Gwent Dragons in the Cup Final.
Steph
Reynolds scored undoubtedly the try of the 7s, sprinting the length
of the pitch and skilful scrum half Callum Braley, spoke highly of
him after the game;
“The
star man got the ball at the right time and did his thing and scored
a crucial try for us.”
Callum
also mentioned his delight in joining Gloucester this summer from
Bristol Rugby Club;
“I'm
absolutely loving it. It's been tough but that's what you expect
from pre-season ... A good way to start the season hopefully and we
can kick on from there.”
 |
| Callum Braley |
Gloucester
and the Harlequins now head to the World
Club 7s
at Twickenham on 16th
and 17th
August.
If
we turn our attention to Gloucester though - on the back of this
spectacular Premiership Rugby 7s Series win - surely it's created a
buzz to kick off their season?
Well
yes ... out with the old and in with the new! With the signing of
26 new players and an entirely new management team, they have begun
cementing the building blocks necessary to succeed.
The
experienced and crucial combination of David Humphreys as the new
Director of Rugby and Laurie Fisher as the new Head Coach, will
ensure the squad are performing well and are purposely prepared for
what lies ahead.
No-one
said it will be easy and it will take time.
With
several friendlies leading up to the start of the new season, it will
become evident how they aim to pave their way to success,
perseverance being key!
And
there is already an air of optimism in camp. Kingsholm is renowned
for it's dominant pack and being a difficult place to play, so the
focus is on strengthening relationships, managing expectation and
establishing those foundations.
For
the fans, it's about boosting morale and regaining that belief and
confidence.
The
Cherry and Whites have the potential to go far.
Go
Gloucester! All good luck next season.