Gloucester rally to put Europe in their grasp
GLOUCESTER virtually sealed their place in next season’s European Champions Cup with a hard-fought win over battling Irish.
The hosts looked in trouble midway through the second-half but raised their game to score three tries to gain an unconvincing win.
Gloucester’s head coach George Skivington said: “It was a really scrappy game and sometimes those sorts of games go against you.
“The guys took their chances well but we needed to be more clinical from the start for when we get it right and are accurate, the boys out wide take some stopping.
“We were heavily penalised at the breakdown but we are doing our best in training to learn how to avoid penalties.”
It was rough justice on Irish to come away with nothing. Influential forwards George Nott and Agustin Creevy had given their all but once again Irish failed to take crucial opportunies.
Since the restart they have scored only seven tries and picked up just one point in five games in which they have conceded 150 points.
Gloucester, minus the rested Danny Cipriani, lacked their customary sparkle and had to rely on the grunt of Jake Polledri and Val Rapava-Ruskin to compete with the Irish pack with young scrum-half, Stephen Varney, impressing behind the scrum.
Paddy Jackson gave Irish an early lead with a simple penalty but an error from him gave Gloucester the opening try. On halfway, the outside-half threw a speculative pass which Polledri intercepted before feeding Lloyd Evans, who raced in from 40 metres.
Evans converted but Gloucester conceded their third penalty in the opening 12 minutes for Jackson to reduce the arrears.
A poor kick from Ollie Hassell-Collins cost the visitors 60 metres to give Gloucester a platform in the Irish 22 from where Evans kicked a penalty.
The visitors received a blow when prop Sekope Kepu was forced off with a leg injury and they soon suffered another setback when an excellent round of passing from the Gloucester backs saw Jason Woodward provide Ollie Thorley with an easy run-in.
Irish needed a score to keep in contention and after declining two kickable penalties, they picked up their first try when they stole possession in the home 22 for Blair Cowan to provide Hassell-Collins with the scoring pass.
Jackson converted but Gloucester still led 17-13 at the interval.
Within eight minutes of the restart, the home side lost two players through injury. First Woodward limped off with a hamstring problem before Ed Slater was withdrawn following a hefty collision and lengthy treatment.
These injuries disrupted the hosts which allowed Irish to dominate and their pressure was rewarded when veteran hooker, Creevy, finished off a driving lineout.
Irish looked favourites now, but Gloucester regrouped and from a lineout inside the visitors’ 22, a pre-planned move gave Louis Rees-Zammit the opportunity to run outside Hassell-Collins and score.
Gloucester were rejuvenated and secured their bonus try when Jack Stanley forced his way over from close range. Billy Twelvetrees converted before Jackson kicked his third penalty to set up a tense finish but Varney’s late try ensured victory.