Skivington names team for Slater Cup challenge

Gloucester Rugby head coach George Skivington has picked an experienced 23 to travel to Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the Gallagher Premiership tomorrow afternoon.

After resting a number of players for last weekend's trip to Leinster in the Heineken Champions Cup, players such as Val Rapava-Ruskin, Louis Rees-Zammit and captain Lewis Ludlow all return.

In the front row, Val Rapava-Ruskin and Santi Socino are joined by Kirill Gotovtsev, after Fraser Balmain left the field injured in his last outing against Bordeaux.

Freddie Clarke and Matias Alemanno start in the second-row, with Ruan Ackermann, Lewis Ludlow and Albert Tuisue completing the pack. Tuisue is the only player to retain his place place in the starting XV from Leinster.

In the halfbacks, Stephen Varney is joined by Scotland international Adam Hastings, who makes his first appearance back since picking up an injury during the Autumn internationals.

Seb Atkinson and Chris Harris are partnered again in midfield with an exciting back three of Jonny May, Louis Rees-Zammit and Santi Carreras, who had been deployed at fly-half in Hastings' absence.

On the bench there is a potential Cherry & Whites debut for hooker, George McGuigan, after he signed from Newcastle Falcons last week.

He is joined by Alex Seville, Ciaran Knight, Alex Craig, Ben Morgan, Charlie Chapman, Giorgi Kveseladze and Lloyd Evans.