Lack of depth may be downfall for Gloucester

WITH supporters back at Kingsholm the anticipation certainly had increased. But as in previous games Gloucester started slowly, and without much penetration.

But as we know with Gloucester, they can score tries which they duly did through Ed Slater who received a great pass from Ruan Ackermann out wide after some great build up play. This levelled the score at 10-10 with the half time fast approaching - but Gloucester allowed the imposing figure of Alex Dombrandt to plunder over, to take Harlequins into a crucial seven-point lead at half time. The game took a significant twist at the start of the second half with Harlequins’ second row receiving a yellow card for collapsing a maul, followed by Andre Esterhuizen , the Quins centre, rearranging Lloyd Evans’ nose with his elbow.

The incident was bought to the attention of the referee Ian Tempest, who is not up to refereeing at Premiership standard.

I find it very strange when Mr. Tempest can referee at this level and JP Doyle is put out to pasture.

It took several looks at the TMO to determine the outcome, which was a straight red, and significantly prevented Evans playing any further part in the game. Harlequins DOR Paul Gustard called it an arm wrestle, but the last time I had an arm wrestle, I never ended up with blood streaming from my nose, with concussion.

At this point Quins had 13 players on the pitch.

This can play with players’ minds, as they begin to think they have a two-man advantage and there will be try-scoring opportunities. But having players off the field can galvanise a side, and the longer Gloucester went without scoring the greater the anxiety became.

Coupled with this Billy Twelvetrees had left the field with injury, followed by scrum half Joe Simpson.

Losing your nine, 10, and 13 will hurt any side.

Gloucester came into this game with a growing injury list where players coming on did not necessarily have the experience required, especially in this situation.

On the other hand Harlequins had an influential 10 in Marcus Smith who singlehandedly controlled the game for the next 35 minutes.

He made the right decisions, kicking long, kicking high, little dinks over the top, which Gloucester did not deal with all day.

The score board was kept ticking over which allowed the London side to grow in confidence.

Gloucester on the other hand completely lost their shape, and most importantly direction. It needed clarity of thought and deed which unfortunately never happened, and there was going to be only one winner.

Evans, starting for the first time in back-to-back Premiership matches was badly missed and Gloucester seemed to lose all sense of purpose.

What disappointed me was that if one of your fellow players leaves the pitch with injury that has been deliberately done, which it was, by an opposition player you would like to think this would upset his fellow players and spark a reprisal.

I do not mean retaliation, but I would like to think it would fuel an attitude that would galvanise the Cherry and Whites into action, but this never happened.

This game was there for the taking, and a loss at home will not sit well with the players.

The Gloucester squad is threadbare currently, with injuries galore which will test the strength in depth.

When Gloucester has their front line players fit they have a squad that can compete at any level, but their depth may be their undoing in a league where any one club can beat another - taking Exeter Chiefs out of the equation of course.