Gloucester denied as Bezy caps Toulouse’s bruising comeback
The 25th edition of rugby’s top-tier European tournament began with a cut-and-thrust tussle between two entertaining teams. Eventually, the power and attacking variety of Toulouse prevailed as they defied two remarkable solo tries from Joe Simpson and crippled Gloucester’s line-out to record 16 unanswered points in the second half.
Afterwards, Johan Ackermann saluted the “commitment” and “passion” of his Gloucester players, who had suffered two dismal domestic defeats by Leicester and Saracens in recent weeks. But set-piece woes ultimately derailed them.
Rynhardt Elstadt, the Toulouse back row, swiped a crucial throw with three minutes remaining and revealed his friendship with former Western Province and Stormers team-mate Gerbrandt Grobler, who was calling Gloucester’s line-out, helped him predict the call.
The reigning Top 14 champions and four-time winners of this competition defied the cliche of French travel sickness with gritty poolstage victories at Bath and Wasps last season. While deprived of two electric runners in Cheslin Kolbe and Antoine Dupont, Ugo Mola fielded plenty of familiar names.
Gloucester fell behind within three minutes after Tom Marshall failed to gather Danny Cipriani’s pass. Toulouse spread the ball wide in trademark fashion. Romain Ntamack, the newly crowned World Rugby breakthrough player of the year, back from leading France’s backline in Japan, skipped inside a couple of tackles. The hosts regrouped and stalled their opponents on the edge of the 22, but flyhalf Zach Holmes slipped back into the pocket and slotted a slick dropped goal. Then Simpson stirred Kingsholm.
His first try came from a Gloucester line-out steal, the scrum-half finding Matt Banahan before receiving a return pass off the floor. He then skated 70 metres upfield, accelerating into open space and around Thomas Ramos to dot down.
The former Wasp already has three Premiership tries for his new club. Capped once by England at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, he boasts a career highlight reel that is chock-full of spectacular finishes.
At 31, Simpson does not seem to be slowing down. Indeed, another breakaway joined his collection 10 minutes later. Holmes lost the ball in a two-man tackle from Ruan Ackermann and Lewis Ludlow. Simpson gathered, stepped off his right foot past lock Florian
Verhaeghe and sprinted clear, again burning off Ramos. That made it 14-3 before Cipriani and Ramos traded two penalties each.
Gloucester’s forwards, spearheaded by loosehead prop Val Rapava Ruskin, were outworking the Toulouse pack. In the absence of Ed Slater and Springbok Franco Mostert, that was a mightily impressive feat. A 20-9 lead for Gloucester at the break was justified.
Mola made changes at half-time, bolstering his forwards with Richie Gray and bringing on Lucas Tauzin for Holmes. Ntamack shifted from inside centre to fly-half and promptly kicked three points to reward Sofiane Guitoune’s break.
The gap shrunk further when a prolonged passage of Toulouse phase play finally drew a penalty out of the defiant Gloucester defence. Ramos cut the gap to 20-15.
Toulouse unleashed more heavy men from their bench. Burrowing over off the back of a bruising period of close-quarter muscle, scrum-half Sebastien Bezy tied up the game before a Ramos conversion put Gloucester 22-20 behind.
In the 68th minute, Jerome Kaino was body-checked by Mark Atkinson as he chased Ntamack’s dink. Boos rolled around the ground, but a cool Ramos bisected the posts.
Gloucester were weary from their defensive exploits and their line-out accuracy fell away, Elstadt intercepting Corne Fourie’s late throw five metres out. The steal sealed Toulouse’s steely comeback.
Home losses sting in the Champions Cup and Gloucester now travel to Montpellier. “It’s only us who can fix this,” Johan Ackermann said. “We’ll take the next challenge head-on and see where we get to.”