MATT COX believes he is making his mark – slowly but surely – at Kingsholm, writes Chris Bailey.

At the start of the campaign the back row had been turning out for Gloucester United in the Aviva A League, but when Nigel Davies came calling, any first-team rustiness was soon shaken off.

Cox has now played his part in four consecutive Aviva Premiership games and with a January full of LV= Cup and European action he looks sure to be pulling on his boots some more.

Injuries to Sione Kalamafoni and Tom Savage – along with the departure of Akapusi Qera to Toulouse – have thinned the Cherry & Whites’ pack, and Cox has slipped into the mix coinciding with his side’s upsurge in form.

Worcester Warriors and London Irish have been put to the sword in the last two weeks and though Aviva Premiership leaders Saracens are next in line, Cox is not about to let his or the team’s standards drop.

“I’m pretty happy with my season so far,” he said. “I’ve been getting a lot of game time since I’ve come back into the side and I think the game against London Irish was my eighth or ninth consecutive game.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of set piece work and it’s been going very well over the last two games – we’ve had a 100 per cent success rate at our line-outs.

“When you know your own role and make your own tackles, you can make the most of the shots you get, and I feel like I’m taking each opportunity.

“Three out of the last four games we have won and the confidence comes back fully and everyone knows we’ve had a shaky start to the season after a poor run.

“We’ve had to work on a few parts and had to pay some attention to a few places where we’d been going wrong. We’ve changed our ways and it’s been working for us.”

The 25-year-old Cox is hoping for an extended future at Kingsholm.
“Everyone’s talking at the moment, my man is talking to Gloucester and we will see how it goes,” he added.

“Gloucester are such a big club to play for, one of the best in the Premiership. When you run out at Kingsholm there’s not a better place.

“I look around and think ‘why would you want to play anywhere else?’. I’m happy at this club and I wouldn’t want a change.”

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