Under-pressure George Skivington says he is enduring the hardest spell of his decade-long coaching career after Gloucester’s miserable form continued with defeat away to Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday.
The Cherry and Whites, who missed out the play-offs by two points last season, have lost eight of their nine Prem matches so far in this campaign.
The club are close to bringing in a new figure above Skivington to ease his director of rugby responsibilities and allow him to focus more on day-to-day coaching.
“It hurts and it hurts a lot,” said Skivington of his side’s form.
“I don’t feel any animosity to anybody who’s not my biggest fan right now – I actually get it, I support teams, it’s sport.
“But I think if you actually step back and look at what we’re dealing with, it is tough.
“There is nobody wearing this more than I am right now.”
To emphasise the point, Skivington revealed a recent conversation with his wife “which wasn’t too pleasant”.
He said she told him he’s “never at home” and she “doesn’t see him anymore”.
“That’s just what it’s like right now,” he added. “So if anybody thinks I’m driving home in the car, sitting back, enjoying a glass of wine, that is definitely not happening.
“Pro sport is tough, and when it’s good, it’s great, but this is definitely the toughest spell I’ve dealt with.
“There’s not a lot of joy in it right now for us and I appreciate the supporters and what they think, but it will get better.”
Gloucester have been hit by a raft of injuries. Last year’s Premiership player of the year Tomos Williams was a late withdrawal from starting line-up to face Newcastle, while Ben Loader, Max Llewellyn, Will Joseph, Jack Singleton and Ben Redshaw are also out.
Will Crane started at hooker at Kingston Park having only joined up from Hartpury a few days before, while 18-year-old outside centre Will Knight has featured in the past three rounds of league matches.
Chief executive Alex Brown admitted in an open letter to supporters that Gloucester’s recruitment last summer, external had left them short of experience in key positions.
While Williams is bound for Saracens next season, the club have secured former England scrum-half Dan Robson as a replacement along with the star signings of Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake.
“These aren’t stupid people who are signing for the club, like they’re proper people who want to do something,” said Skivington.
“I’ll be very honest about what’s going on this season, where we are, but also map out the plan.
“So when you sit with these guys [potential signings] and go, look, here’s the reality, we’re not going to fluff it up for you, but this is the squad that we have next year, this is the talent within in it – a lot of that is not on the field right now.
“You just be honest about it and explain where we want to take the club and where we see the shortfalls of the club.”
Skivington says the club came close to recruiting a senior management figure a year ago to relieve the pressure on him, but the appointment fell through.
“Fingers crossed it will be wrapped up fairly soon and we can all just focus on what we need to focus on,” he added.
“My learning in this process is that you think you can do everything and you take a lot of things on and in reality you end up not giving your best version of yourself probably in all those areas.
“I felt the pinch of it last year and that’s where the discussions came from and I’m definitely feeling the pinch of it now.”
Gloucester face Edinburgh in the Champions Cup on Friday, before taking on French side Toulon and then returning to domestic action against Bath at Kingsholm on Friday, 23 January.
