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Yellow cards crucial as Gloucester fall to a fifth successive loss
Leicester wing Ollie Hassell-Collins scored two tries as Gloucester’s miserable form continued in a 38-20 loss for a fifth consecutive Gallagher Premiership defeat.
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Saracens and Bath had previously won at Kingsholm this season but Gloucester were in contention to stop the rot until George Barton and Jack Clement were sin-binned in quick succession midway through the second half.
In their absence, Leicester scored 14 points and it proved decisive with Julian Montoya and Solomone Kata also on the try-scoring sheet. Handre Pollard added four penalties and three conversions.
George McGuigan and Jamal Ford-Robinson scored Gloucester’s tries, with Barton kicking two penalties and two conversions. Pollard kicked Leicester into a third-minute lead before Barton missed the chance to level the scores when his 30-metre penalty rebounded back off a post.
Barton soon made amends by succeeding with a more difficult kick from the halfway line before Pollard was given another kickable opportunity. However, Tigers opted for an attacking lineout and it proved the wrong call as stubborn defence kept out a succession of forward drives from the visitors’ pack.
That's all she wrote ??
Leicester sign off with Solomone Kata securing a try bonus point…
FT: @gloucesterrugby 20-38 @LeicesterTigers#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/mqqNWqXh01
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 25, 2023
Gloucester were able to relieve the pressure thanks to being awarded a couple of penalties and from the second, Barton missed the chance to give his side the lead for the first time. The first 25 minutes were featureless and forgettable as both sides failed to take advantage of the ideal playing conditions and it came as no surprise that the next scoring opportunity came via a penalty.
It went Gloucester’s way but Barton again hit the post before his second success, a simple one, put his side in front. Pollard responded with two penalties in quick succession before Tigers scored the opening try in the 38th minute.
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A kick from Freddie Steward won his side a five-metre scrum and after a number of phases, a long pass from the full-back gave Hassell-Collins the chance to round Santiago Carreras and score to give Leicester a 14-6 interval lead.
The second half continued in a similar vein with both scrum-halves, Micky Young and Ben Youngs, still content to launch the ball skywards at every opportunity. However, Gloucester got back into contention with a try from McGuigan as a result of an unstoppable lineout drive with Leicester’s lock, Ollie Chessum, yellow-carded for a high challenge.
The game looked set for a momentum swing but Barton immediately followed Chessum to the bin for a high challenge on Pollard and the Tigers soon benefitted with a try from skipper Montoya.
Gloucester’s woes continued when No8 Clement was sin-binned for a deliberate offside, with their opponents capitalising by scoring the best try of the match. On halfway, Steward fielded a clearance for Jasper Wiese to make ground before skilful handling sent Hassell-Collins over for his second.
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Ford-Robinson reduced the arrears with Gloucester’s second try but Tigers sealed victory with a fourth penalty from Pollard and a bonus-point try from Kata.
- Click here for all the RugbyPass stats from the Gloucester vs Leicester match
Comments on RugbyPass
Great work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
35 Go to comments