George Skivington named England A coach despite Gloucester’s struggles

Gloucester have lost nine consecutive Premiership games but Skivington and defensive coach Dom Waldouck remain highly regarded

The return of England A will be overseen by George Skivington, the Gloucester head coach, alongside his defensive lieutenant Dom Waldouck and Northampton’s Sam Vesty.
Although Skivington and Waldouck’s Gloucester have struggled domestically this season – last weekend’s loss at Bath was a record ninth consecutive Premiership defeat – they are regarded as two of England’s most promising coaches. Skivington, a former England A captain, will lead the coaching staff while Waldouck will oversee defensive responsibilities against Portugal on Sunday Feb 25.
Vesty, the former Leicester and Bath fly-half, is equally venerated given his involvement in the Saints’ attack. Northampton sit atop the Premiership table having dazzled so far this season with an enterprising brand of rugby. Vesty will take up the same role with England A as he holds at Franklin’s Gardens.
The squad for the match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road at the end of February will not be selected by Skivington and his two assistants, however. Selection will fall to Steve Borthwick, the senior head coach, who was also involved in the selection of Skivington, Waldouck and Vesty, in collaboration with Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union.
Given the match is due to be played a day after England’s Six Nations clash with Scotland, the squad is due to be made up of promising Premiership talent as well as members of the senior squad who do not feature in Edinburgh’s Calcutta Cup match.
The development match against Os Lobos – who thrilled the rugby world last year after earning a draw against Georgia and defeating eventual quarter-finalists Fiji at the World Cup – will be the first England A match since a 2-0 series victory in South Africa in 2016. At that point, the team was known as the Saxons, with the name changed ahead of a scheduled match against Scotland A in 2021 that was never played due to a Covid outbreak.
“It’s a massive honour to be asked by Conor [O’Shea] and Steve [Borthwick] to lead the England Men’s A team next month,” Skivington, 41, said. “I recognise the trust they have placed in me with this opportunity, and I look forward to linking up with the coaching group and the squad in February.
“The England men’s A team will serve as a good opportunity for young English players on the cusp of international honours to show what they’re about.”
O’Shea, the RFU director of performance rugby, said: “On behalf of the RFU, I’d like to thank both Gloucester and Northampton, alongside Premiership Rugby, for their collaboration and effort in assembling what is a very exciting coaching panel ahead of our men’s A fixture against Portugal next month. 
“We’re fortunate to possess a coaching staff boasting a wealth of experience in the game that totals decades and will be a fantastic match for the appropriate challenge of Os Lobos. 
“Each member of the coaching staff was picked with the consideration of their ability to develop young players and bring international talent to the top of English rugby.”