Even Gloucester fans will agree with Andy Goode's critique of their team
From beating the champions on the opening day of the season to equalling their biggest ever Premiership defeat against Sale a few short weeks later, Gloucester must be the most frustrating team in the world to support.
They can raise their game every few matches to beat a big side but then they put in abject performances the next week. It was an embarrassing performance at the AJ Bell Stadium at the weekend.
Taking nothing away from the Sharks, who played reasonably well and took their chances, but Gloucester were ridiculously poor. They looked like they were lacking energy and there didn’t seem to be the will to play their hearts out for the shirt.
They had 62% of the possession against Sale on Friday and the same share of territory, forcing the Sharks to make 229 tackles but still lost 57-10. That means they really have to question how they’re attacking and why there is such a lack of cutting edge.
To dominate the possession and territory in a game to that extent but lose by 47 points is ludicrous and, as well as questioning the skillset of some of the players, the desire to even fight and chase back seemed non-existent for some of them.
Johan Ackermann was a tough, uncompromising second row as a player and, although he looks like a nice guy when he’s being interviewed, you can see that steel in his eyes and I’m sure he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. I’ve no doubt they’ll be in for the worst training week of their lives this week.
I used to get a massive amount of stick at Kingsholm for obvious reasons but I gave as good as I got and I used to love playing there. I’ve got a lot of time for Gloucester fans and being one must be a real rollercoaster of emotions.
Ackermann has proven that he can improve a team after he took the Lions from a position of not even being in Super Rugby to winning a play-off to get back in 2013 and then reaching consecutive finals in 2016 and 2017.
That is a seriously impressive feat and you can’t judge him on his first five games in the Premiership.
He arrived late due to his own success after his Lions played in the Super Rugby final against the Crusaders in August. That was unfortunate for Gloucester as it might have set them back a couple of weeks. Culturally, there is a big difference though and it is going to take time for him to bed in.
Nobody can be pointing the finger at Ackermann. He’s still soaking up a completely different competition and outlook on how the game is played and he is still getting to know his team and what the strengths and weaknesses of his players are.
However, above him you have to look at the direction the club has been going in recent years and ask some serious questions of those in charge. David Humphreys has been there as director of rugby since 2014 now and a few coaches have come and gone during his tenure but above him there are even more issues.
There have been so many question marks over the ownership of the club in the past couple of years with them looking for further investment and coming close with Mohed Altrad before that fell through and that hasn’t helped either.
It’s a club that, from the outside, it seems is in disarray in terms of the direction it’s heading in off the field and that makes it really hard to achieve stability on the field and then confidence becomes a problem.
It’s nothing to do with coaching in relation to Ackermann but the leadership above that is the issue and, for me, that’s where the fans are being short-changed.
You look at certain clubs and you can identify the cultures within them. It’s very clear what Saracens are about and the same with Wasps and their style, Exeter and their strengths, Leicester’s traditions and so on but I can’t see what Gloucester have been building over the last six years.
They reached the Premiership semi-final before losing to Saracens in 2011 but have finished ninth in four of the six seasons since then.
It is the same every year. Everyone thinks they’ve got a decent squad and they should be above where they are but they always finish around eighth or ninth and flatter to deceive.
I think a lot of that is ingrained in their culture. In some games they seem to accept mediocrity or poor performance where other teams wouldn’t.
They spend very close to the full £7 million per year allowed by the salary cap and their squad spend is reportedly in the top four in the league.
Normally, you finish roughly where your investment in your players says you should but they aren’t getting the results, so there is something deeper wrong at the club culturally.
They are 10th in the Premiership at the moment. I’ve got no doubt that the relegation battle will be between Worcester and London Irish. Gloucester won’t be dragged into that because of the Kingsholm factor and they do have quality in that squad.
However, the inconsistency and lack of belief looks likely to keep them in the bottom third of the table again and the best that they can hope for is a good run in the Challenge Cup and qualifying for the top tier of European competition by winning that.
Everyone got a bit caught up in the hype after the win over Exeter in the opening round but the Chiefs should have won that game and Gloucester were hanging on at the end in their only other win over Worcester. There’s no chance of them making a push for the top six.
A lot of the time you do get a big reaction the next week when you come off the back of a thrashing like they have and you only have to look at their opponents this Saturday for evidence of that.
Saints got an absolute hiding against Saracens and then physically dominated Leicester the following week and have really kicked on from there, so much so that they’re now top of the table. Gloucester will put in a much more committed performance this week but they won’t be top in a few weeks.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the changing room and the meeting room this week because there will be some no holds barred conversations going on.
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
8 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
8 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
16 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
16 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
8 Go to comments