Gloucester 16 Ospreys 22
Kingsholm - Saturday 29 August 2009

It will be all right on the night!
Pre-season games with multiple substitutions and the lack of the competitive edge always make it difficult to assess team form and today's game was no different.
There were quite a few flashes of good play and there was the occasional glimpse of outstanding play. Sadly there were as many occasions of sloppy play with basic skills lacking.
Individuals had the opportunity to impress and Andy Hazell didn't let us down there. Dave Attwood was prominent throughout the game; he is mobile and has the ability to make a nuisance of himself which is no bad thing for a second row.
Fuimaono-Sapolu was abrasive and Charlie Sharples, I believe, earned his starting position for the first Premiership game against Bath.
Nicky Robinson was at the heart of of Gloucester's moves but I did not sense any real evidence of leadership or purpose in his game. Hopefully that will come.
There was some very poor box kicking or to be more accurate, attempted box kicking and Gloucester tended to kick too much early phase ball for my liking. I was concerned, also, with the lack of cohesion at the ruck where quick ball was as scarce as hen's teeth.
We've now had three games and I'm yet to be truly impressed.
Next week is not a rehearsal so everyone will have to know their lines.
John Price -29/8/2009

Friendlies, are what can only be called disruptive games, with continual substitutions, and do not give the spectator a real reflection of what might happen in a Premiership game, and what the season may bring.
So what have I learnt from the pre-season friendlies of Gloucester Rugby:
1. It's going to be a long hard winter.
2. Although Molenaar and Sapolu showed some ability to break the line, we have nobody in the 3/4 line who can really tackle, also this is an area where we lack cover.
3. Glos have let 3 good centres leave the club along with a very good utility player, this leaves little or no cover in vital positions.
4. Listening to Bryan Redpath, I come to the conclusion that he talks as good a game as Dean Ryan!!
5. Ball from the scrum and ruck is too slow.
6. We still kick the ball far too often for my liking.
I said all last season that if we run with the ball in hand we would beat anyone.
Are there any positives? I'm not sure we shall certainly have to up the ante against Bath.
Mike