Humphreys calling for time as Gloucester Rugby look to start anew

After a disappointing season that saw the Cherry Whites finish ninth, Nigel Davies was shown the exit door after just one campaign in charge.

Replacing him in the hotseat is former Ireland fly-half Humphreys, who ended a 22-year association with Ulster as first player and then director of rugby to head the Gloucester revival project.

But with 26 players coming in to the squad and a new coaching team hastily assembled since he was appointed to the job in June, the 42-year-old warns an immediate return to the upper echelons of the Aviva Premiership won’t happen overnight.

“We’d love to get off to a flying start and you need a little bit of luck to do that,” Humphreys said.

“Nobody knows how long it will take for 26 new players, eight new members of staff, to come together.

“So far, so good – the experience that a lot of the players have brought coming in is of international quality, and a lot of the coaches have experience in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

“We’re all aware of what’s required, we’d probably like another month of pre-season but we’ve just got get on with it now – there’s no excuses.

“Laurie Fisher comes to us having also been at Munster for three years so he’s well aware of the Northern Hemisphere game, he’s played against teams in Europe we’ll be playing against over the next few weeks.

“But he’s got a way of playing, I’ve got a view of how we play, John Muggleton’s got his and Nick Walshe has too. Our players have a certain style they’re used to and the new ones coming in do too, so all these things and how we’re going to put them together will take time.

“But the quality of players coming in will allow you to overcome some of those deficiencies and do enough to compete.”

And as he looks to turn the club’s fortunes around, Humphreys insists he has been giving a helping hand by those who came before him.

“Some of the issues that Gloucester had last year have been addressed and that’s some credit to the previous administration in terms of who they’ve signed,” he added.

“Richard Hibbard and (John) Afoa have come in, (Mariano) Galarza the Argentine hasn’t yet arrived but again the front five, there’s power there. And then Greig (Laidlaw) and James (Hook) are international quality players, they’ve been successful at all levels.

“They’ve performed well in the games so far and I have no doubt they’ll be both influential and successful in the Aviva Premiership. They all might well make an impact straight away, what we need to make sure that impact is complementing the whole team.”

The Aviva Premiership Rugby season kicks off on Friday 5 September. To buy tickets for any match click here.

GLOUCESTER RUGBY’S OPENING FIXTURES

September 6: Northampton Saints v Gloucester Rugby

September 13: Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks

September 19: Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs

September 26: London Welsh v Gloucester Rugby

October 4: Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers

October 11: Saracens v Gloucester Rugby

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/239007.html

Humphreys calling for time as Gloucester Rugby look to start anew