A Ben Redshaw-inspired Gloucester secured their place in next season’s Champions Cup with an emphatic victory over Newcastle Red Bulls at Kingsholm.
Save us to your Google Favourites for nonstop RUCK content!
Both sides were eager to end difficult campaigns on a positive note, but Gloucester had the added incentive of knowing a top-eight finish — and a return to Europe’s premier competition — was within their grasp if they could match or better Harlequins’ result against Northampton Saints.
Driven by a hat-trick from Redshaw and a superb display from Charlie Atkinson, the Cherry and Whites delivered a ruthless attacking performance to ensure they finished the season in style.
Here are the Gloucester player ratings.
POLL:
Gloucester Player Ratings vs Newcastle Red Bulls
1. Val Rapava-Ruskin – 6/10
A standard, run-of-the-mill performance from Val this afternoon. He took his carries well and sealed off the ball when needed. His scrummaging was excellent, as always, as well.
2. Seb Blake – 4/10
His lineouts were poor today; he missed a handful through overthrows and poor placement. He was strong around the park, however, but the awful lineouts keep his score low for the afternoon.
3. Afo Fasogbon – 6/10
Both Gloucester props were strong this afternoon. They held their own in the scrum but were both taken off before the hour mark. Fasogbon’s size and speed were on display for the entirety of his outing, though, and his engine never seemed to stop running as he put in tackle after tackle.
4. Arthur Clark – 7/10
Clark was strong defensively today; he was a menace at the breakdown and even blocked a box kick. He didn’t shy away from the attacking aspect of the game either and got himself on the scoresheet.
5. Matias Alemanno – 6/10
On his 100th and final appearance, the Argentinean was a brick wall in defence. Hit after hit was dominant, consistently putting in tackles that sent his opponents backwards, allowing for easier ruck turnovers. A great servant to the club, his physical presence this afternoon proved why he’s been such a stalwart.
6. Freddie Thomas – 6/10
The Welshman put his body on the line all game. Shot after shot after shot, his tackling didn’t seem to stop. He has been pushed from the second row to flanker this season, but his strength and brute force proved why Skivington has kept his faith in him.
7. James Venter – 7/10
A nuisance at the breakdown, Venter was always disrupting play. He carried well and hard, always leaning into contact, and got himself on the scoresheet for good measure.
8. Will Trenholm – 6/10
Not as good as Venter this afternoon, but not a bad showing by any means. The former Harlequin capped off a good first season at Kingsholm with another solid outing. He carried well and hard off the back of the scrum, and he set up many dummy lines and hot balls to help the backs run riot.
9. Caolan Englefield – 7/10
He took his try well and shifted tempo excellently this afternoon. His ability to pull the lever and switch into sixth gear elevated the side’s attack. His box kicking was superb, and he even snuck in a Tomos Williams-esque 50/22.
10. Charlie Atkinson – 9/10
He is one of the best young fly-halves in the league, and he has really made the No. 10 shirt his own. He’s brave in attack and defence, constantly looking for opportunities to create a line break or bring the ball to the line. He delays the pass until the final second, and it allows his team to find space that they weren’t able to exploit at the start of the season. He is such an acrobatic fly-half, constantly bouncing around the field, whether that’s shipping the ball out wide or skipping through tackles himself. He set up a hat-trick of first-half tries this afternoon. Easily the best player on the pitch.
Gloucester edge ahead
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 6, 2026
Charlie Atkinson breaks through the line on halfway and pops it inside to Caolan Englefield, who races overWatch live on @TNTSports and @HBOMaxUK pic.twitter.com/HbKhW6QJVh
11. Ben Loader – 6/10
A quieter game for Loader than normal. A lot of the play came through the middle of the park, so he didn’t see too much of the ball. His aerial game was in good form, however.
12. Seb Atkinson – 7/10
The captain was slightly outshone by Llewellyn this afternoon, but he still had a good game. The England international carried his team on his back at the start of the season and had to run through every phase to make metres. This wasn’t the case today, however; his namesake, Charlie Atkinson, was on top form, allowing the inside centre to provide space and beautiful passes out to Llewellyn and the wing pairing. His kicking game was on form as well, pushing the Red Bulls back inside their five-metre line time and time again.
13. Max Llewellyn – 8/10
Llewellyn had an excellent afternoon. His attacking capabilities are so underrated around the league. He carried hard throughout and provided his teammates with some great space. His ability to draw in defenders created openings out wide, which set up his teammates with easy scores. A superb shift from the Welshman.
14. Ollie Thorley – 6/10
Much the same story as Loader. A lot of the ball went through the middle of the park, so Thorley was kept quiet. When he did get the ball, though, he pulled out some of his trademark running.
15. Ben Redshaw – 9/10
Redshaw has been quite hot and cold this season. He’s been excellent some weeks and subpar the next, but today he was red hot. A gorgeous hat-trick was the reward for his excellent supporting lines. Defensively, he was at his best today too. He has a very bright future ahead of him and, on his day, it is so clear to see. Today was his day—his best performance of the season.
Quiz! Can you name every team to have ever played in the Gallagher Prem?
Can you name all 28 clubs that have featured in the Gallagher Premiership since it kicked off back in 1987?
London Welsh were the last newcomers to join the top flight in 2011… but can you remember the rest?
You’ve got five minutes to test your rugby knowledge and reel off every side to have graced England’s top tier.
Sounds easy? Trust us, it’s trickier than you think.
Good luck – and don’t forget to share your score with us!
