While Gloucester celebrated a fine win over Harlequins on Sunday, a number of their players were in action elsewhere over the weekend.
A first try and a debut with Under-20s
Gloucester academy player Tom Seabrook scored his first try for England Under-20s in their 35-10 win over Italy.
Named in the side for the first time in the Under-20 Six Nations at outside centre, Seabrook opened the scoring when he collected Kieran Wilkinson’s kick through to dot down.
He was one of three Gloucester players in the England starting lineup, along with prop Olly Adkins and flanker Aaron Hinkley.
Jack Reeves made his England Under-20s debut when he came on in the 63rd minute, with young Gloucester prop Jack Bartlett also making an appearance off the bench.
The hosts held a narrow two-point lead at the break with tries from Seabrook and Wilkinson, as well as a conversion, while Italy crossed through Federico Mori and Michele Peruzzo.
Second-half scores from Ollie Fox, Ollie Selightholme and 10 points from the boot of Josh Hodge secured victory.
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England have won two of their four fixtures and finish their campaign against Scotland at Northampton Saints’ Franklin’s Gardens on Friday.
Meanwhile, young Gloucester wing Alex Morgan came into Wales’ starting lineup for their game away to Scotland but he could not prevent them from slipping to a 27-20 defeat.
Representation in the Six Nations
It took until the fourth round of the men’s Six Nations for Gloucester to have a representative with Jake Polledri coming off the bench for Italy against England at Twickenham.
Italy were already 36-7 down by the time the flanker entered the fray as they were routed 57-14 by England.
Polledri did display his power though with some strong carries and beat two defenders in his short time on the pitch.
Former Gloucester scrum-half Dan Robson scored his first England try after coming on in the second half, while Jonny May was another old Kingsholm favourite on the scoresheet.
Two tries apiece from Manu Tuilagi and Brad Shields, with Jamie George and George Kruis also crossing the whitewash, saw England run out easy winners.
Hartpury win
Two Gloucester players helped Hartpury to a nail-biting but vitally important 21-20 win over Nottingham in the Championship.
Scrum-half Ben Vellacott and lock Alex Craig both started as Hartpury briefly lifted themselves off the foot of the Championship table, only for Richmond to beat title-hopefuls Ealing 24-22 on Saturday to go back above them by one point.
The home team had looked in control when they led 21-15 with less than five-minutes remaining, but the East Midlanders put together a rousing final effort, Billy Robinson eventually forcing himself over in the 79th minute.
The next few moments were agonising for the home support as, not for the first time this season, it seemed as though they would see victory snatched a way late in a game.
However, on this occasion their luck held and as Gearoid Lyons’s kick drifted past the uprights, the Gillman’s Ground was filled with sheer delight as the home team collected four vital points.
Former Gloucester fans’ favourite Akapusi Qera got Hartpury’s first try after three minutes and they got a penalty try with 13 minutes left with Sam Leeming kicking three penalties.
