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Gloucester release two from squad as they battle the salary cap - reports
By Alex Shaw
The rise of Gloucester up the Gallagher Premiership table has been an enjoyable journey to watch this season, although it inevitably comes with implications for the squad.
The arrivals of Danny Cipriani, Franco Mostert and Jaco Kriel helped propel the team into a semi-final with Saracens last weekend, but with Cipriani's new long-term contract with the club in place and Newcastle Falcons' Chris Harris being lined up, sacrifices have to be made.
Thanks to the impressive form of a number of the club's back rowers and wings, it seems as though that is where David Humphreys and Johan Ackermann will look to make cuts.
According to GloucestershireLive, both Gareth Evans and Henry Purdy are set to exit Kingsholm this summer, with the Cherry and Whites no longer able to accommodate them next season.
Evans, 27, has been at Gloucester for the last eight years and has spent his entire professional career with the club. During that time, he has clocked up 85 appearances for the side, regularly filling in across the back row when the club have suffered injuries or international call-ups.
With Kriel on board and the likes of Ben Morgan, Jake Polledri and Lewis Ludlow all impressing, not to mention Aaron Hinkley beginning to push his claim, it seems as though Evans is now deemed surplus to requirements in the West Country.
Purdy, 25, joined Gloucester from Leicester Tigers in 2014 and has enjoyed a fair bit of success since making the move. He has recorded 28 tries in 82 appearances over that period although, like Evans, his position has felt the pinch due to the form of Ollie Thorley, Tom Marshall, Charlie Sharples and Matt Banahan, as well as Tom Seabrook coming into contention.
As Gloucester look at younger and cheaper options to fill the roles of Evans and Purdy in their senior squad, both players will be hoping that another Premiership club has the salary cap space to provide them with a home next season.
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