Harlequins 28 – 17 Gloucester

Friday 29^th April, 2016. The last time Gloucester recorded back to back wins in the AVIVA Premiership. This statistic, probably more than any other, indicates the problems that have faced the Cherry and Whites over the last 18 months. From the sublime performance against Exeter to a horror show against Harlequins, Johann Ackermann has not yet managed to rid his new charges of their inconsistencies.

When comparing the number of lost lineouts and the number of turnovers to the win against the champions, Gloucester reversed all their good work from the week before, allowing Harlequins to cruise to victory. A victory where many of their own fans weren’t happy with the team’s performance. Ackermann had warned that Gloucester’s win against Exeter, although pleasing wasn’t necessarily a true reflection of where he saw his team in their development. Sure enough the same old issues re-emerged, failing to capitalise on opposition mistakes and opportunities created, while gifting possession and territory needlessly.

There were a few plus points from the performance, namely the continued improvement in the scrum which bodes well for the rest of the season. Previous campaigns have seen Gloucester penalised relentlessly at the scrum, the supporters will be heartened to see that this appears to be at an end.

Harlequins to their credit took their chances well, even a serious injury to Dimitri Catrakilis - who remains in hospital after fracturing a bone in his throat – could not derail a much improved performance. Quins still have a number of ‘x-factor’ players who can create a chance from nothing. Gloucester’s tactic of double tackling, which worked so well against Exeter was nullified by the offloading and individual brilliance of Jamie Roberts, Mike Brown et al. It may be necessary to have a different game plan when playing against sides less well drilled as the Champions.

Preview:  Leicester v Gloucester at Welford Road          

Leicester have had a disappointing start to the season with two defeats in their opening two games. There has been an immediate impact from former Gloucester star, Johnny May, already scoring three tries, but the biggest concern for the Tigers will be the performances of their pack. High profile departures and injuries has de-powered the traditional strength of the 10 times champions.

It is ironic that May appears to have joined a Leicester side that may be suffering from a similar problem that has afflicted his former team – namely a top back line starved of quality ball from a retreating pack. Leicester have never finished below 6^th since the formation of the top flight in 1987 and over the past 30 years they have always managed to find a way to win, sometimes not entirely within the laws of the game. The familiar chant at Kingsholm of “Same old Leicester, always cheating” is normally met with the entirely correct response of “Same old Leicester, always winning!”

Gloucester have won at Welford Road on a number of occasions, with the most notable victory coming in early 2004 as Martin Johnson prepared to show off the recently won World Cup. The last win was in 2007, while many will remember the 41-41 draw in 2011. As a rugby venue, it is one of the best. The biggest capacity of any Rugby Union only club ground and a vociferous crowd that expects a performance and victory. They are certainly very quick to express their displeasure towards a referee should they take a different opinion on a particular decision.

If Gloucester are to win they will need to eradicate the errors at the lineout and make sure the Leicester backline continues to be starved of ball. Twice in the last two games a kick ahead from Billy Burns has led to an opposition try, not necessarily because of the kick itself, rather the defensive line being slow to meet the oncoming player meaning gaps and ‘dog-legs’ giving space for a counter-attack. The scrum will be crucial too. Fraser Balmain, who has been very impressive thus far, is unavailable as is Ben Morgan. In the backs, former Tiger Owen Williams is still suffering from a back injury sustained in pre-season while Mark Atkinson will also miss out. Henry Trinder impressed in a Gloucester United side that comfortable defeated their Bath counterparts on Sunday afternoon and may be in line for a recall to the 1^st XV.

Leicester have already lost Manu Tuilagi again to injury, this time out until the New Year, while there are also concerns about Brendon O’Connor and Graham Kitchener. However the Tigers are still able to call on the likes of Matt Toomua and Johnny May who will look to exploit any gaps in the Gloucester backline. A losing bonus point would be seen as a good result for the ‘Cherry and Whites’ although much like their previous game against Quins, if they are to buck the recent trend of finishing in the lower half of the table a win would certainly make a statement. 

Gloucester Rugby 28 - 21 Exeter Chiefs

It is amazing how quickly one can forget the misery and suffering of a generally dreadful rugby season. A mixture of excitement and nerves builds as the seconds tick by, ever closer to 7.45pm and kick off. The opportunity to play the Champions in front of a near sell-out crowd and the BTSport cameras should be enough motivation for a Gloucester side who, by their own admission, under-performed last term.

An encouraging performance against Scarlets in the final pre-season friendly had given many hope that this year, it could be different. There were starting debuts for Jason Woodward at fullback and Fraser Balmain at tighthead. Ruan Ackermann and Ed Slater would begin a new chapter in their careers from the bench. The Cherry and Whites were unable to select Owen Williams and Jake Polledri due to injury, while Val Rapava-Ruskin was suspended. Probably the most eye-catching element of the team selection was the centre pairing of Andy Symonds and Mark Atkinson who were preferred to the international duo of Billy Twelvetrees and Matt Scott.

Exeter Chiefs, on paper, have very few players that jump off the page. However they all know their roles and play a simple effective game plan which doesn’t rely on the brilliance of an individual. The contrast to Gloucester, particularly last season, in that regard is quite marked. The Champions were without Thomas Waldrom and Dave Ewers, while Jack Nowell and former Kingsholm favourite Matt Kvesic initially named on the bench eventually started.

Friday night games have their positives and negatives for the average supporter. It is normally a better atmosphere and there is the added advantage of a swift half after the match without necessarily getting a permission slip. However expecting thousands of people to get to Kingsholm in good time after a hard day at work is unrealistic, especially when increasingly the game can be viewed on TV.

The match itself was an incredibly tense affair, two teams giving everything with Exeter starting the brighter. Gloucester barely had any ball or territory for the first 25 minutes of the game, although their defensive structures and game plan appeared to be coping well with the Champions initial onslaught. Inevitably though an unkind bounce of the ball from a Billy Burns chip ahead created a gap and an overload on the right wing and a try for Sam Simmonds.

Finally Gloucester began to get some impetus and after a couple of line breaks in the centres and uncharacteristically patient play on the Chiefs 5 metre line, Jeremy Thrush powered over to level the match. Exeter rebounded quickly and a missed Tom Savage tackle led to Simmonds breaking through and dotting down under the posts. On the stroke of halftime, Jeremy Thrush reached out and placed the ball on the line from the middle of a ruck. The TMO and referee consulted and eventually decided that it was legal and the sides were level.

The most noticeable immediate difference compared to last season was the defensive plan. Two tacklers every time (one high, one low), no one competing at the breakdown. Exeter tried to bust holes; use dummy runners; Steenson dropped back behind his centres to give himself more time, but each time a Cherry and White wall awaited him. The other change to last season was the clear improvement in the scrum. Fraser Balmain, Richard Hibbard and John Afoa were rock solid. Balmain was hugely impressive with a number of big carries and high work rate all round. The whole pack seemed to be a different beast with incredible performances from Lewis Ludlow and Jeremy Thrush, the latter not quite having the speed in the second half to run in from 30 metres out.

Willie Heinz, the newly installed captain, for the most part marshalled his team well but a crazy 3 minutes in which he skewed a clearing box kick leading to an Exeter try, followed by a pass to nowhere and conceding a penalty at the resulting breakdown led to his withdrawal from the game. However by this time he appeared, understandably, out on his feet. Gloucester had led for a large part of the second half following another TMO decision, but once the champions had levelled it seemed the old Gloucester was about to re-emerge. A penalty at scrum time with just over 2 minutes to go gave Henry Slade the opportunity to put the Chiefs into the lead. His kick slid to the right of the posts, the home side reprieved and now with an opportunity to win it.

The joy that swirled around Kingsholm as Jason Woodward slid in to the corner can’t really be described. The attached video, courtesy of BTSport gives an impression but if felt like 3 years of pent-up frustration and misery being released. Gloucester do have much to work on but in the moments after victory the few failings can be forgotten. The coaches and players know that this is only a beginning and the supporters have had many false dawns before, but it did feel a little different this time. An extra crackle of excitement and knowledge that last season Gloucester would have lost that game.

Exeter for their part were excellent. A draw was probably a fair result, but sport is cruel as the Gloucester supporters found on so many occasions last year. The champions will be in the mix again at the end of the season and for the moment it appears Gloucester have more to offer than some predictions in the rugby press may have suggested.

Preview for Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby

Gloucester’s next opponents Harlequins were shocked in the opening fixture by newly promoted London Irish. The Exiles winning with a try bonus point and will now have confidence that they will be able to buck the recent trend of promoted sides being immediately relegated the following season. Quins for their part will be disappointed with their performance, too many penalties and mistakes meant they were always chasing the game.

Gloucester’s last visit to The Stoop was a memorable one. Victory in the European Challenge Cup Final against Edinburgh marked the high point of Lawrie Fisher’s tenure at Kingsholm. The team showed that night all of the traditional grit and determination that the supporters crave, holding on to beat their Scottish opponents despite being reduced to 13 men mid-way through the second half. The team have rarely come close since.

The Stoop is an odd stadium to visit as an away supporter. Quins have undoubtedly improved the facilities since professionalism and do an excellent job in attracting good crowds. The view from the stands is excellent and the options for those who want to ‘quench’ their thirst are probably the best in the league. However the atmosphere can be, at times, lacking. Gone are the days where the loudest noise was the gentle hum of the burger van generator, but it is impressive how 14,000 people can remain so quiet despite the excitement on the pitch.

This is even stranger when you consider the talent on show. Harlequins have an array of extremely talented players at their disposal. Mike Brown, Danny Care, Chris Robshaw, Kyle Sinckler and Joe Marler are all England regulars and although the great Nick Evans has retired, the potential of 18 year old Marcus Smith is something that should get the Quins supporters excited. Tipped and identified by Eddie Jones as a real talent, he has challenged Smith to target an England squad place sooner rather than later.

Gloucester’s record away at Harlequins over the past 10 years is pretty poor. Only one draw, a crazy 39-39 at Twickenham in 2015 which is best remembered for an outstanding Rob Cook try and Johnny May getting injured and missing the next 9 months. Games between the two sides tend to be high scoring affairs, which is no doubt good for the neutral but not so much for the respective coaching staff. Last year a combination of missed chances and ill-discipline cost the Cherry and Whites, echoing much of their season, but they will need to be wary of Quins attacking from deep. Tim Visser, Marlon Yarde and Mike Brown are devastating runners who can bust holes in the best defences. Retaining possession and slowing the opposition ball will be crucial for Gloucester. It will be interesting to see how Harlequins perform without the dynamism of Nick Evans, although the snappy and generally excellent Care will remain a threat.

If Gloucester have any ambitions to make the top 4 this season, this is the sort of game that they will need to win. Harlequins are a very good side on their day and will be there or thereabouts in the final reckoning. Their biggest issue for the coming season will be to juggle the demands of a very tough Champions Cup group with the rigours of the Premiership while Gloucester will be able to rotate their squad a little more against the likes of Agen and Zebre.