By Cherry Picker
February 1 2012

The international season is with us again, and with it - as usual - comes the turmoil it causes to clubs like Gloucester, where regulars and even reserves go missing on duty for their countries.

It’s the time that tests the strength in depth of all squads, and puts the spotlight on players from far, far away.

That’s why Gloucester’s popular Samoan Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu could be even more popular than usual this weekend when he could be asked to switch to stand-off in the LV= Cup tie against London Irish in the famous London town of Reading.

He operated there for the final minutes of last weekend’s hammering of Cardiff at Kingsholm, and coach bryan Redpath says he will have no fears of him playing a full game there is England Saxons keep hold of Freddie Burns. Young Ryan Mills will be on England under-20s duty and Tim Taylor still has a thumb injury.

Having played fly-half for Bath and Samoa before, EFS is the obvious man to look to, though Dave Lewis and James Simpson-Daniel have both played there, too.

Redpath made changes galore for the Cardiff game, and there will be more this weekend. He told the club website: “We have some good youngsters coming through, a nd games like these gave thgem their chance.

“We are the reigning LV= champions and we want to reach the semi-finals and then to retain the trophy.”

It’s back to Premiership rugby after this one, home games against Northampton and Harlequins and a trip to Bath the games scheduled for February.

No pressure there, then.