Gloucester bow out of Champions Cup after Toulon defeat

Gloucester’s Investec Champions Cup hopes suffered a knockout blow as Toulon dumped them from the tournament by winning 31-14 at Kingsholm.

The French side did not look back following early tries by wings Gael Drean and Mathis Ferte, with Gloucester never seriously threatening a meaningful fightback.

Flanker Lewis Ludlam also crossed for the visitors during a one-sided opening half as they guaranteed themselves a home tie in the round of 16, before Drean added an 80th-minute bonus-point clincher.

Gloucester, despite touchdowns from Jack Clement and Tomos Williams, with George Barton converting both, were largely shut out, and Toulon full-back Marius Domon’s goalkicking – four conversions and a penalty – kept his side in the driving seat.

Gloucester’s defeat meant that Edinburgh progressed from Pool Two alongside Toulon, Bath and Castres, with George Skivington’s team having now lost 11 of their 13 Gallagher Prem and Champions Cup games this season as even a Challenge Cup consolation place eluded them.

Both teams knew before kick-off that victory would guarantee a place in the knockout phase, but Gloucester were rocked on their heels by a flying Toulon start.

The visitors posted two converted tries inside 13 minutes thanks to impressive finishes from Drean and Ferte, who each made short work of Gloucester’s defence, with Domon adding the extras.

It left Gloucester 14 points adrift, and they could make little headway with Toulon monopolising possession, only being saved from a second Ferte touchdown after England prop Kyle Sinckler knocked on in build-up play.

Gloucester took until midway through the second quarter to pose an attacking threat, yet they struck from a short-range lineout, with Clement breaking three tackles for a well-worked score that Barton converted.

But Toulon’s forwards had an appetite for the battle, and they replied emphatically through a driven lineout of their own that ended in England international Ludlum applying a simple finish and Domon again converting.

The try meant Gloucester trailed 21-7 at half-time, leaving them with a mountain to climb after Toulon dominated in all key departments.

Toulon had the bit between their teeth, and they were inches away from a bonus-point score when their former Gloucester number eight Zach Mercer could not quite stretch far enough to the line.

Gloucester needed a spark from somewhere, and skipper Williams did his utmost to keep them in the contest through an awareness and sharpness that none of his colleagues could match.

Toulon, though, extended their lead through a Domon penalty after 58 minutes, giving his team a 17-point cushion and increasing Gloucester’s degree of difficulty.

That task predictably proved insurmountable, despite Williams scoring late on, and they are now left to try and salvage something from a miserable Prem season that currently sees them just four points above bottom club Newcastle Red Bulls.