Gloucester on verge of Champions Cup qualification after beating London Irish
Gloucester virtually sealed their European Champions Cup spot for next season with a hard-fought 36-23 victory over London Irish at Kingsholm. A victory for Irish would have seen them in a position to challenge Gloucester for that place but the hosts’ bonus-point victory put them twelve points clear of ninth-placed Irish with only four games remaining.
Gloucester’s tries came from Ollie Thorley, Louis Rees-Zammit, Jack Stanley, Stephen Varney and Lloyd Evans with Evans adding a penalty and two conversions. Billy Twelvetrees also converted two. Irish responded with tries from Ollie Hassell-Collins and Agustin Creevy with Paddy Jackson kicking three penalties and two conversions.
Jackson gave Irish a fourth-minute lead with a simple penalty but an error from him handed Gloucester the opening try. On halfway, the fly-half threw a speculative pass which Jake Polledri intercepted before feeding Evans, who raced 40 metres to score.
Evans converted but Gloucester conceded their third penalty in the opening 12 minutes for Jackson to reduce the arrears. A poor kick from Hassell-Collins cost the visitors 60 metres to give Gloucester a platform in the Irish 22 from where Evans kicked a penalty to give his side a 10-6 advantage at the end of an evenly-contested first quarter.
Irish then had a good chance to open their try-scoring account when scrum-half Nick Phipps spotted an opening on the blindside. His long pass found Albert Tuisue, with the No8 looking set to threaten the try line until he lost possession in the tackle.
Step on the gas! ?
How do you defend against @LouisReesZammit?!
Electric! ?? pic.twitter.com/ij3awcV4SK
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) September 5, 2020
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 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 First Woodward limped off with a hamstring problem before Ed Slater was withdrawn following a hefty collision and lengthy treatment. The injuries disrupted the hosts and allowed Irish to dominate and their pressure was rewarded when veteran hooker Creevy finished off a driving lineout.
Irish looked favourites for victory, but Gloucester regrouped and from a lineout inside the visitors 22, a pre-planned routine gave Rees-Zammit the opportunity to run outside Hassell-Collins and score. The hosts were rejuvenated and secured the bonus point when replacement prop Stanley forced his way over from close range for the bonus-point try.
Twelvetrees converted before Jackson kicked his third penalty to set up a tense finish but Varney’s late try ensured victory and leave Gloucester poised to feature in the 2020/21 Champions Cup.
7?? tries in four games since the lockdown ?https://t.co/MWlUnimiqq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 5, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Hopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
1 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
75 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
75 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
75 Go to commentsOne of the few Bidwell articles I can agree with. If coaches played their players through niggles and consistently played them 80mins then you could make an argument for resting protocols - they obviously don’t and are incredibly responsible, let’s give up the resting nonsense and let the boys play.
4 Go to commentsDaniel Gallan, please for the love of all that is holy, stop writing about rugby. Or at the very least stop telling people you are South African.
21 Go to commentsThis Dr.Rassie 6-2 filth is spreading. We need to ask World Rugby to ban something
1 Go to commentsPity he couldn’t call him a liar to his face, such a brave man.
75 Go to comments“You ain’t counting to 12 or 13 straight after a game, son!” Just because you don’t doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t “I reckon if anyone said it they would have said, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’.” Oh, you “reckon”, do you? You weren’t there, you weren’t part of the conversation but you know what was said… Id10T
75 Go to commentsNZ has such a rich history of quality number nines, and woman beaters.
1 Go to commentsThat’s what happens when you are scared of scrums
3 Go to comments