The size of the task facing Gloucester on Friday night when they host Exeter Chiefs in their first Aviva Premiership Rugby match of the season is underlined by the fact that the Devon club have not been beaten in the competition for more than 10 months.

The defending champions are unbeaten in their last 17 Premiership fixtures and if they avoid defeat on Friday, will break Leicester Tigers’ previous record of unbeaten games set between 1999-2000.
It’s a baptism of fire for Gloucester’s new South African head coach Johan Ackermann who has hot-footed it over to this country after last month guiding the Lions to this year’s Super Rugby Final.

While Exeter were sweeping all before them at the end of the last campaign, Gloucester’s season was ending with something of a whimper.

They lost their last three games in all tournaments including the defeat in the European Challenge Cup final to Stade Francais at BT Murrayfield.

But while Exeter certainly ended last season like a train – their most recent defeat in the Premiership was at home to Bath at the end of October – Gloucester’s fans can be encouraged by the fact that the Devonians have not always made the best of starts to a new season.

They have won just once on the opening weekend in the past four seasons – 52-0 at London Welsh in 2014.

Mind you, Gloucester’s opening day record is even worse, recording only one victory in round one in the last seven seasons – at Newcastle in 2015.

The last seven fixtures between Gloucester and Exeter have seen some thrilling rugby and the results are evenly split with three wins apiece plus a draw. The Chiefs have won on three of their last five visits to Kingsholm in the competition.

The game kicks off at 7.45pm on Friday 1st September.