By Cherry Picker
January 23 2013

Having qualified for the knock-out stages of the Amlin Cup, where they face a home quarter-final against Iain Balshaw's Biarritz, Gloucester have a fight on their hands if they are to match that achievement in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Their defeat at Ospreys in November means they need positive LV= Cup results at Northampton this weekend and at home to Bath a week later.

But coach Nigel Davies plans to use the games as build-up matches for the return to Premiership action after that, again with a visit to Northampton.

The good news is that Sandy Hazell is available again after his long ban, just a week after another sour game against Mont de Marsan, and that’s almost as good as a new signing.

Davies told the Citizen: "In some respects it will be like a new signing, because he's been unavailable for so long, and it's unusual to lose players to other reasons than injury.

"Andy is raring to go too. I know he'll be desperate to make up for lost time, so he'll be champing at the bit to get out there and make an impression.

"That desire and commitment, it's great, but  we've also reminded him he has nothing to prove to us – what happened out in France is in the past and we've all moved on from that.

"Clearly there's no substitute for match fitness, but Andy is one of the most dedicated and professional guys around, and he'll be ready to return. It's important to have a player of his experience and quality coming back into the squad with a crucial run of games ahead of us.

"The LV=Cup games are really important to us – it's a great opportunity for guys like Andy and players returning from injury to integrate themselves again, and it's an opportunity for us to get our game in order.”

Don’t expect Saturday’s game to be as intense as the corresponding Premiership clash a fortnight later.