Anscombe keeps his cool to cap superb comeback
CARDIFF Blues pulled off the greatest comeback in a final of Europe’s Challenge Cup to beat Gloucester at Athletic Bilbao’s magnificent San Mames Stadium thanks to Gareth Anscombe’s penalty with less than two minutes remaining.
Their dream of emulating the class of 2010 seemed dead and buried when they trailed 20-6 at the end of the first half of an absorbing clash in Spain.
Losing Wales star Josh Navidi to a suspected dislocation of his right shoulder after just seven minutes was a huge blow while the later departure of wing Owen Lane, also with an arm in a sling, didn’t help their cause.
But those injuries couldn’t disguise the fact Gloucester had too much power for Danny Wilson’s men in the first half, carrying out their pre-match pledge to drive at what they regarded as Blues’ soft under-belly.
The Aviva Premiership outfit were able to play on the front-foot, allowing classy England international Billy Twelvetrees, a Lion in 2013, to dictate.
Blues had produced a stunning 28-21 upset over Jonny Wilkinson and Sonny Bill Williams’ star-studded Toulon in Marseille in 2010 to become the first Welsh team to lift a European trophy.
And this was more dramatic as they bravely mounted an incredible fightback to lift the trophy in front of a crowd of 32,543.
They had been given hope following tries from scrum-half Tomos Williams and substitute wing Garyn Smith during a 15-minute spell at the start of the second half – outside-half Jarrod Evans converted and landed a penalty – to roar into a 23-20 lead.
But Gloucester regrouped with hooker James Hanson being on the end of a driving line-out, Twelvetrees converting and adding a penalty to make it 30-23 in their favour.
Wing Blaine Scully slid over in the corner for the Blues with just over four minutes remaining, but Anscombe pulled the difficult conversion wide.
However, he made amends in the dying seconds for the party to begin.
Evans had put the Blues into a threepoint lead with a penalty from 41m after Navidi brilliantly won a turnover.
But, following the loss of the flanker, Gloucester drove hard at the Blues defence before outside-half Billy Burns put left-wing Henry Trinder over in the corner with a pinpoint cross-kick for Twelvetrees to expertly convert.
Scully was dragged into touch by opposition scrum-half Callum Braley as he dived for the corner.
Evans and Twelvetrees exchanged penalties while Gloucester had a try controversially disallowed for a forward pass. However, Twelvetrees got outside Rey Lee-Lo and linked with Trinder and Braley for Mark Atkinson to score.
Twelvetrees converted and added a penalty to put them 14 points ahead, but they left the stadium at the end in a state of disbelief.
Cardiff Blues: Anscombe, Lane, Lee-Lo, Halaholo, Scully J. Evans, T. Williams, Gill, Dacey, Filise, S. Davies Turnbull, Navidi, E. Jenkins, N. Williams. Replacements: G. Smith for Lane (29), Morgan for J. Evans (69) L. Williams for T. Williams (69), Thyer for Gill (60) Andrews for Filise (41), O. Robinson for Navidi (6) Welch for N. Williams (72). Not Used: Myhill.
Gloucester: Woodward, Marshall, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Trinder Burns, Braley, Hohneck, Hanson, Afoa, Slater, Galarza Polledri, Ludlow, Ackermann. Replacements: Symons for Burns (69) Rapava Ruskin for Hohneck (60), Matu’u for Hanson (60) Balmain for Afoa (60), Thrush for Galarza (52) Morgan for Ackermann (69). Not Used: Vellacott, Hudson.
Sin Bin: Ludlow (74).
Ref: Jerome Garces (France). Att: 32,543