LRZ shines as Gloucester produce spectacular second-half comeback to stun Wasps
Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit sparked a spectacular second-half fightback as Gloucester launched their Gallagher Premiership campaign with a 27-21 victory over Wasps at Kingsholm.
Gloucester only missed out on a place in the title play-offs by two points last term.
But they looked way off that form as Wasps surged 21 points clear before the interval through tries for fly-half Charlie Atkinson, Brad Shields and centre Burger Odendaal, while Atkinson converted all three scores.
But flying wing Rees-Zammit signalled a turning of the tide when he broke away to score from just inside Gloucester’s 22, and scrum-half Charlie Chapman added a second try in two minutes during the third quarter.
Adam Hastings added a conversion and penalty, before Gloucester were awarded a penalty try 12 minutes from time, with Wasps seeing two players yellow-carded in rapid succession.
Chasers deserve huge kudos here #GLOvWAS | Credit: @btsportrugby pic.twitter.com/giuJ033TfG
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With Wasps still down to 13 players, lock Freddie Clarke completed Gloucester’s stirring response by crashing over from close range and securing a bonus point in the process.
A moving minute’s silence was held in memory of the Queen, who died on Thursday, being immediately followed by the national anthem as rugby continued to pay tribute.
Wasps suffered a blow just seven minutes into the game when Italy international full-back Matteo Minozzi limped off and was replaced by Ali Crossdale.
Despite such an early setback, Wasps dominated territory and possession, with scrum-half Dan Robson looking to exploit space around the fringes.
And they should have taken a 15th-minute lead following sustained pressure near Gloucester’s line, but Barbeary spilled Robson’s pass as Gloucester ran out of defensive numbers.
Barbeary then looked to have put Wasps ahead, yet his try was disallowed for obstruction by lock Kiran McDonald before his team-mate touched down.
Wasps, though, scored from their next attack as Atkinson weaved his way over from close range and converted to open up a 7-0 lead.
Atkinson missed a 25-metre penalty chance, and Gloucester could barely get out of their own half before Wasps stung them with a high-class try early in the second quarter.
Prop John Ryan surged through a midfield to set up the opportunity before Atkinson’s exquisite pass sent Shields over for a try that the fly-half converted.
It was all too easy for Wasps, and Gloucester conceded a third try during 10 damaging minutes when Odendaal smashed through a wafer-thin defence to score, and Atkinson’s conversion took the visitors past 20 points.
Shields departed the action just before half-time after suffering an injury – he was replaced by his fellow England international Jack Willis – and Gloucester had a mountain to climb, trailing 21-0.
Gloucester needed something to spark them, and Rees-Zammit obliged just three minutes into the second period, sprinting 90 metres for a spectacular score that saw him evade the clutches of Crossdale and Josh Bassett.
The Wasps defence was breached again just two minutes later, with new signing Albert Tuisue involved in a flowing move that ended in Chapman touching down and Hastings converting.
A Hastings penalty cut the gap to six points, setting up an intriguing final quarter as Wasps desperately tried to rediscover their first-half authority.
But their cause was not helped by flanker Tom Willis being yellow-carded, and when Gloucester were awarded a penalty try, replacement Biyi Alo was sin-binned for pulling down a maul, leaving Wasps two players down.
Gloucester predictably turned the screw, given their numerical advantage, and Clarke’s 74th-minute try rounded things off as the home side prevailed despite Wasps exerting pressure in the closing seconds, but the visitors had to be content with a losing bonus point.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
81 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to comments