GLOUCESTER’S
owner, Tom Walkinshaw commented on the ‘up and down season’ and appealed
over the P.A. system to the Cherry and White supporters to get right
behind their team.
The fans duly obliged, as did the whole side. This was most definitely
the biggest ‘up’ of recent years.
To qualify for the Quarter-final stage of the Heineken European Cup
for the first time was beyond the wildest dreams of even the one-eyed
Gloucester fans.
To beat Cardiff, the much fancied leading Welsh side, with some ease
and reach the semi-final stage of the competition, has been a truly
terrific achievement.
Forget the score-line, ignore the fact that the Welshmen scored two
tries, Gloucester were full value for their Cup triumph. Quite simply
the Gloucester pack outplayed their opponents in every phase of the
game.
Cardiff were never 100% competitive. Their pack was not strong enough
in the set pieces, not agile or accurate enough in the line-outs and
lacked pace in the loose exchanges. Their only answer to the driving
play of the home forwards was to infringe and give away penalties.
The Gloucester front row were immense against Welsh internationals
who were in almost non-stop bother. There is no doubt that Woodman
and Vickery did their England prospects no harm at all, particularly
as in the loose they were both impressive. If that was a sample of
Welsh front row play then England will have nothing to fear. The Welsh
props are still the same, overweight and over-rated Gloucester exerted
so much continual pressure on their opposite numbers that the Cardiff’s
eight went to pieces under the strangle-hold grip from the Cherry
and Whites and gave away far too many penalties.
In the line-outs Rob Fidler and Ian Jones really ruled the roost and
behind the scrum Jason Little marshalled the backs in a defensive
line which hardly missed a tackle.
At long last, after so many individualistic efforts this season this
was a genuine team effort. Not even the most biased Cyclops of The
Shed, who still cling to the belief that only Gloucester born and
bred are best, could fault the passionate commitment of a Gloucester
side which out-muscled their Welsh visitors in all phases of the game.
Unlike Gloucester, Cardiff were tactically disjointed and out of touch
and for once Gloucester’s game plan seemed to be spot on.
It wasn’t all sweetness and light for Gloucester, as in the first
half the half backs Elton Moncrieff and Simon Mannix were some way
off the pace. They wasted too much hard earned possession and their
line kicking was poor. The scrum half’s service was slow and laboured
and at best Mannix had only an average game, missing three easy penalties
and key touch kicks.
To be fair, the much vaunted Welsh international pairing of Rob Howley
and Neil Jenkins fared little better. Forced to live off scraps, they
made too many errors and also failed to take advantage of their kicking
opportunities.
Although Gloucester had a lead at half-time there was nagging suspicion
at the back of the mind that it might not be enough.
The introduction of scrum half Andy Gomarsall in the second period
put more pace on the Gloucester game and Fanolua and Little started
to make inroads into Cardiff territory. Byron Hayward replaced the
injured Mannix and in addition to some telling touch finders, slotted
a vital penalty to stretch the lead.
The work-rate of the Gloucester back row was truly immense, with Junior
Paramore producing a prodigious effort in his best ever game at Kingsholm.
Kingsley Jones and Jake Boer were not far behind with their contributions.
Cardiff managed to score two tries, one at the start of the second
half and one dubious score in injury time to flatter their score but
never seriously threatened to win the match.
Gloucester will have to play better to reach the final but now we
have some heart and real hope.
Unfancied and unfashionable we may be but we are still in there with
more than a fighting chance.
All we need is another big effort and as the song says, ‘with a little
bit of luck’.
FINAL