Same again Let’s repeat intensity against the Quins
DID anyone see that performance coming from Gloucester? Yes, it was at Kingsholm and I always expect Gloucester to do well at home - but after the first 20 minutes I could still not see it happening, with Wasps enjoying the lion’s share of possession and the Cherry & Whites defending manfully.
You could feel that there was more bite in the tackle, and a greater urgency all round. Wasps did take the lead from a spilled line-out, which tight head Jack Stanley at the rear of the line-out was slow to react to.
As the half wore on Gloucester did start to enjoy more of the possession, with Lloyd Evans, playing as Danny Cipriani had not trained in the week, settled into the game, taking responsibility and maturing at marshalling his forwards around the field. Evans is not Cipriani but who is? He does give Gloucester solidity, he is not flamboyant, apart his Phil Bennettesque dummies.
I have mentioned it previously it is now time for him to grow into the 10 shirt and really put his impression on the team.
He has played in some high-profile games and is now looking to know his way around a professional rugby pitch. Gloucester’s opening try was a thing of beauty a perfect lineout drive from 15 metres out with impressive hooker Jack Singleton crashing over. The loan signing from Saracens looks every inch a top-class player, doing basics well, working hard for the team, and most importantly making few errors. The line-out drive was a dangerous weapon for the home side all day. Once again, it was the impressive Matt Garvey breaking off such a drive to plunder a try.
The ex-bath man has been a revelation since his signing. He has been a consistent performer and plays as if he has been in a Gloucester shirt for years. He adds some steel, he shows his emotion, he will for sure be a Shed favourite.
His partner in crime Ed Slater, also returned to form.
Throughout this performance, especially in the first 30 minutes of the second half, Gloucester looked more balanced and as they pulled away on the scoresheet you could see the confidence grow within the players.
Billy Twelvetrees was forthright in mid-field, setting up Gloucester attack with front foot ball, he set up one try, and scored one, with an all-round involved performance, which resulted in a 20-point personal haul.
George Skivington will have wanted this reaction from the unacceptable performance the previous week at Leicester, and he got it.
As a coach his beer on Saturday will have tasted that much better after this opening home game of the season.
The challenge now is to build upon this encouraging result, with a performance against Harlequins on Sunday.
Quins will also be in positive state of mind after a thumping win over Northampton last week but if I were selecting the side, I would give the players who started against Wasps the opportunity to do the same against Harlequins.
They have a set a standard and stepping stone, the challenge is do it again and some.
It will be a great watch.