Gloucester must maintain 'high level' - Trenholm

Gloucester back-row forward Will Trenholm has called on the squad to "keep a high level" as they target this season's Prem Rugby Cup semi-finals.

Friday's 43-17 victory at home to Sale leaves Gloucester second in Pool A heading into Saturday's crucial final group game away to West Country rivals Bath.

"We just need to carry that on because we can't dip down by 10% which we did last week (losing 48-14 at Exeter), and then come up to 110% like we did this week," Trenholm told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"We need to stay at that high level of performance, and then also carry that into the Prem, and really push ourselves to see how consistent we can be at staying at the high level."

Victory over Bath this weekend will see Gloucester - cup winners in 2024, but whose defence was ended at the quarter-final stage by Newcastle last season - safely into the last four.

"We can't let our ego get the better of us," Trenholm added. "Win, lose or draw, you have to park it. It's a new week, it's a fresh day.

"Yes, we'll reflect on what we did well, we'll learn from our mistakes. But it is just another game of rugby, and the only thing we can focus on is what happens next weekend."

Trenholm, 25, says Gloucester's form in the Prem Cup is helping the scrum improve following nine defeats in their opening 10 Prem league games.

"We're starting to build some momentum and take some pride in our scrum," he added. "If we're being honest, the first half of the season wasn't good enough. It wasn't where we wanted to be, and it wasn't at a Premiership standard."

Trenholm also paid tribute to the importance of club stalwart Lewis Ludlow who is in his 11th campaign with the club having come through their academy.

The 31-year-old flanker was Gloucester captain for five seasons from 2020 before being replaced by Tomos Williams at the start of this campaign.

"He's the beating heart of the club, isn't he?" Trenholm added. "He bleeds cherry and white. He's always going to set the tempo.

"If he's going to go out there and make these unbelievably physical tackles and get these great turnovers for us, then everyone else has to do it. When he's on that level, he drags everyone with him."