Gloucester benefit from keeping things simple
Freddie Thomas says Gloucester have simplified their gameplan which played more to the players' strengths.
Second-row forward Freddie Thomas has played in 15 games for Gloucester this season [Getty Images] Gloucester forward Freddie Thomas said the team refined and simplified their gameplan prior to their win against Exeter which allowed them to play more to their potential. The 34-31 win against the Chiefs at the end of April was only the third Prem win of the season for the Cherry and Whites. The 2025-26 campaign has largely been a season to forget for eighth-placed Gloucester, but they are hoping to finish on a high with four games remaining.
"We've done well the last couple of weeks of refining our gameplan and making it super simple so boys can go out there and do what they do best - being physical and being confident and it showed last week," Thomas told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. "As a player the more you have to think about the less you're thinking about the rugby and being in the moment, so we've done quite well to refine it down, let boys just focus on playing rugby. " A run of nine defeats in 10 games from the start of the season ended Gloucester's chance of making the season-ending Prem play-offs before the campaign had really got going.
Wales international lock Thomas conceded the change could have happened earlier to try and stop the poor run, but that is easy to say with hindsight. "Potentially we should have [made the change] but I think the gameplan earlier in the season was there and it was what we thought was the right thing to do," he said. Prem rugby 2026-27 season to begin on 25 September Gloucester edge past play-off chasing Chiefs Prem breaks 'tricky' for momentum - Skivington Gloucester host Sale in their next outing on Friday (19:45 BST), a team that has similarly struggled this season and sit just six points ahead in the table in seventh, also out of the play-off race.
Despite having no trophy to challenge for, Thomas said that did not mean the players are "throwing in the towel" on the their final games. "Skivs [George Skivington, head coach] has been very vocal on how there is things to play for," Thomas said. "He doesn't like that narrative of, 'We're not in the top four and there's nothing to play for, we're not going at it', because that's just not true.