Tom Savage will lead by example this season © Getty Images

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Tom Savage says he will lead by example after being handed the Gloucester captaincy in what signified the next chapter in the forward's remarkable journey.

Savage will take on the reigns from Jim Hamilton with the Scotland lock now running out in Montpellier. And Gloucester boss Nigel Davies said he was confident Savage was the right man to lead the Aviva Premiership side as when Savage's captaincy was announced, the ex-Scarlets coach said "his work ethic and commitment are second to none."

Aged just 24, Savage is one of the Premiership's youngest captains but he is confident he can cope with the pressure.

"I was fortunate enough I was almost given a trial run last year in Jim's absence," Savage told ESPN. "And it was something I enjoyed doing and it's a step up from that. If it doesn't affect your game too much then you can use it as a positive.

"My captaincy style will be a simple mix of the vocals when you need to and lead by example week in week out and also setting the standards in training. We've got a lot of experience around us and we are lucky to have that and we'll use that when we need to."

But while the captaincy is fairly new to Savage, so is professional rugby. The 2013-14 campaign will be just his third of playing for Gloucester and as a full-time pro. Savage said: "Come 18, I had played a little bit of rugby back home in Shropshire and I had decided to go to Hartpury University to be a normal study and to study sports science.

"But I progressed through the ranks there and played there for a side where I had to start on the bottom of the rung for that ladder. But in my last year of University I went and had a trial at Gloucester in 2010-11 and signed the year after. It was what I needed in that last year of University, it was a transition year and it gave me every opportunity for the World Cup season after that to go out and play."

Gloucester open against Sale at Kingsholm in the opening weekend of Premiership action and Savage wants his team to kick-start their 2013-14 campaign with a victory. He added: "Fingers crossed we'll get a win the first game of the season at home. And then we'll hopefully get some momentum. It's a long old compact campaign but you need to start well and get to the top at the start."