GILBERT’S RUN DOWN TO OLD MATE CLEAVER
DAVID GILBERT has dedicated his best Crucible run to the memory of a great friend who turned his life and career around.
The 37-year-old from Tamworth, who knocked defending champion Mark Williams (below) out over the weekend, is no overnight snooker sensation.
There were tough, near penniless times after falling off the tour in 2004 – and a partying lifestyle that stopped him from fulfilling a great talent.
The ‘Angry Farmer’ nickname came from a suspect temperament, and harvesting potatoes and driving tractors for his father’s company.
But pal Neal Cleaver took him in and even brokered a first date with Gilbert’s now wife Abi before dying tragically early in life from cancer.
World No.16 Gilbert, who reached and lost two big finals this season and is into a first quarter-final in Sheffield, said: “I remember when I had just a big bag of clothes and nowhere to go.
“And Neal, no longer with us, helped me out and took me in. He was also having a rough time, and we were like the TV show Men Behaving Badly for a couple of years.
“It is at times like this that I think of him, all of us do in Tamworth who knew him, we miss him like mad.
“When I wasn’t in a great place he straightened me out.
“Then he got cancer and 12 months later he was gone. I think it was him who told me to take Abi out for the first time – he is to blame! Most of my good decisions, he was behind.
“Playing a couple of times at the Tempodrom in Berlin in front of 2,500 fans was good preparation for this.” DANNY CIPRIANI suffered an injury scare but Gloucester still booked a play-off slot thanks to a losing bonus point.
Cipriani, who helped create the visitors’ first two tries in front of Eddie Jones, aggravated a finger problem on his right hand trying to stop Ben Te’o and went off on 57 minutes.
After icing the injury, he used his left hand to shake with the Worcester players afterwards, but coach Johan Ackermann insists he will be fit for the run-in.
“It’s a sore finger, not a break. It’s just ligaments.
FAHe could have played on,” said Ackermann.
“It was sore after the Bath game and like a lot of players playing with sore ribs or shoulders, he has to fight through it. When he is able to rest after the end of the season he will be 100 per cent.” Gloucester will be away to either Exeter or Saracens in the semi-final.
The win means Worcester are safe from relegation.
Exeter 20 16 0 4 583 379 17 81 Saracens 20 15 0 5 577 402 12 72 Gloucester 20 12 1 7 518 450 11 61 N’hampton 20 10 0 10 531 471 11 51 Harlequins 20 9 0 11 496 482 15 51 Sale 20 10 1 9 396 443 6 48 Wasps 20 9 0 11 439 498 11 47 Bath 20 8 2 10 420 432 10 46 Bristol 20 8 0 12 464 548 13 45 Worcester 20 8 0 12 450 490 9 41 Leicester 20 7 0 13 428 577 11 39 Newcastle 20 6 0 14 364 494 6 30