Tindall looking to hit peak
Gloucester captain Mike Tindall says he is looking to hit his peak this season at the Premiership club.
Tindall has been at the club since 2005 and although he is now a 31-year-old he has said that he believes he still has a lot more to offer both club and country in the near future.
Gloucester are one of the clubs looking to make the top four by the end of the season and Tindall will have a lot on his plate. There is huge emphasis on him as centre to be creative but he must also stay on top of his responsibilities as captain.
Tindal has many skills and assets that should ensure he has a very good season with the club. However, his desire to do well personally could be countered by his desire for the club to achieve a high place finish.
Skills and assets
Tindall has been playing top-flight rugby since 1997 when he was under contract at Bath. This means he has developed a knowledge and experience of the game that he can use as an asset and a weapon. It will give him an edge over less experienced players.
Tindall is arguably the most creative player at Gloucester because of the central role that he plays in the team. He is a superb passer of the ball and can pick out a pass in a second. This often allows him to set up an attack and get into many advanced positions on the field.
He does not lack pace and is still a very strong and tough player. This allows him to get stuck into the opposition during a tough game and his determination can spread across the team as he is the captain.
He said: "I will be very disappointed if I finish my playing career without having won the Premiership especially having played for two such great clubs in Bath and Gloucester. Winning a domestic trophy is a massive motivating factor for me."
Taking a back seat
Although Tindall may still have a number of pending personal ambitions in the game, these will be countered by his desire for Gloucester to do well as a rugby club.
It's very important that the club get off to a good start. They will open up against the Premiership's new boys in Exeter, and Tindall must put all personal ambitions to one side in order to make sure Gloucester get points on the board.
If he does hit his peak this year and ticks all of the personal ambition boxes then there is a very good chance that Gloucester will have done very well. This is something he would happily accept.
He added: "I watched both their Play-off games with Bristol and they showed a lot of fighting spirit and desire. Exeter will throw everything at us and every other team they play. They will want to show they are not going to just roll over."
Betting advice
Back Gloucester to come through their opening match against Exeter with flying colours. They have far too much quality and pace all over the side for Exeter to cope with and this means that Tindall and his club should get off to a flying start.
Gloucester stand a very good chance of making the top four this season. They have a deep squad, plenty of experience and plenty of talent that should see them do very well over the course of the season. The defining factor in where they finish will come when they play the sides expect to win the title this year.
Tags: