Gloucester Rugby: Progress on keeping hold of top stars - Davies
NIGEL Davies is confident he will now retain all Gloucester's top talents for next term, as his squad for 2013/14 starts to take shape.
The Cherry and Whites boss believes there will be no repeat of the loss of captain Jim Hamilton, who will leave Kingsholm under extraordinary circumstances in the summer.
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Nigel Davies
Hamilton has taken up a big-money offer to join Montpellier, with Gloucester receiving a transfer fee for his early release.
Rugby director Davies is busy trying to attract new recruits to the Cherry and Whites cause for next term.
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But he is also putting the final touches to retaining the bulk of Gloucester's out-of-contract current stars.
And the former Wales centre expects to finalise a host of new contracts shortly.
Jonny May and Tom Savage sealed new deals before the turn of the year, and Davies revealed negotiations elsewhere are all-but complete.
The likes of Nick Wood, Dan Murphy, Dan Robson, Koree Britton and Shane Monahan can be expected to be among the group to which Davies refers – and that simply as a starting point.
Davies explained: "I can understand if some of the supporters get a bit twitchy, but I would tell them not to worry.
"We are pretty well advanced with a lot of that work, and I am confident everyone we want to stay will do so now.
"There's always a lot to consider on the contract front, negotiations can be quite delicate and it's important to keep that in mind at all times.
"But we're well advanced with all of that and that's a good position to be in.
"Because of the nature of the squad, with the number of players on longer-term contracts, there is not a huge amount of scope for big change in the first instance.
"But we don't want to make big changes either, so that all ties together well.
"Continuity is the main thing for us, it's going to be important, as this squad has a lot of potential and we're excited about working to fulfil that in the long term."
Comments
by chuycastillos
Friday, January 18 2013, 6:05PM
“The self-styled talentless spotter still trying to convince everyone that he knows who has been signed.”
by LarryOfLevens
Friday, January 18 2013, 4:51PM
“Rupert Harden is the top rated and best tight head prop at Gloucester bar none.”
by Steve_Bronko
Friday, January 18 2013, 4:47PM
“When your tight head starts 9 Premiership games in the first half of the season, you just know that he is the best at Gloucester Rugby. That player is Rupert Harden!”
by mattw74
Friday, January 18 2013, 4:27PM
“Harden is the number 1 tight head at Gloucester Rugby. If the troll dave_rh, aka akadau, ever gets to a Gloucester Rugby game he could see that for himself but he never goes to any games.”
by sam_silent
Friday, January 18 2013, 4:22PM
“We need to get Harden back playing for Gloucester as a matter of urgency. We don't want to be going up any other teams with a weakened scrum.”
by Gambonie
Friday, January 18 2013, 3:57PM
“Harden = Gloucester Rugby's first choice tight head. No doubt about it!”
by kenfarnwood
Friday, January 18 2013, 3:55PM
“The truth of the matter is that the Harden hating troll (dave_rh/akadau/glasteruk1/etc.) really can't get over the fact that Nigel Davies considers Harden to be his top rated tight head, otherwise, why has he started Harden for 9 Premiership games this season, plus two others? The reason is patently obvious (unless you are the troll dave_rh and you think you are better than Nigel Davies), Harden is his best tight head and the go to man when there is a tough job that needs doing and one that needs doing well.”
by Brasher
Friday, January 18 2013, 3:52PM
“Let's face it, Gloucester's scrum is never the same without Rupert Harden anchoring it. Nigel Davies knows that which is why he (and not the clueless multi-identitied troll dave_rh/akadau/flanker_6/etc.) selects Harden to start in the tough, critical games.”
by Roon77
Friday, January 18 2013, 3:46PM
“I see that the Gloucester Rugby hating troll with the numerous IDs, dave_rh/akadau, is giving out the sign of the Wasps' supporter.”
by LucaTowers
Friday, January 18 2013, 3:41PM
“Rupert harden = Top man = Top tight head = Gloucester Rugby's first choice tight head”