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| Kingsholm | Saturday
4 December 2004 |
Gloucester
limp on
Gloucester 23 Cardiff 19
GLOUCESTER emerged from the fog
at Kingsholm having survived a tough encounter with Cardiff still hanging
on to their Heineken Cup aspirations but realistically on this showing in
a poor game and with an escalating injury list, the chances of progressing
past the group stages of this year’s competition are looking a little
remote - rather like the hopeful prospects for finding funding for the ambitious
planned new stand.
Another
week, another clutch of injuries, as by half-time the Cherry and Whites
had lost both of their wingers, James Simpson-Daniel, coming back from a
ham-string injury and Marcel Garvey, to be joined in the second period by
full back Jon Goodridge. Understandably some allowances can be made for
the patched up back division but all in all it was disappointing performance
by the home side against a team who have the worst record in Celtic League
amongst Welsh sides but certainly rose to the occasion.
An early Henry Paul break at outside half put Terry Fanolua into space and
the Samoan centre scored with ease within three minutes of the start. H.P.
converted but that was his only success for a while as he completed an unhappy
week by missing a hatful of place kicks.
However any thoughts of an easy bonus point win for the home side were dashed
despite ample opportunities and the missed kicks. In consequence Cardiff’s
confidence and resolve grew whilst the home side huffed and puffed but created
very little likely to stretch a competent defence.
Gloucester’s current centre pairing Fanolua and Mauger as usual provided
few creative options. Fanolua was his usual self, all effort but lacking
in reliable and subtle handling skills and all too often died with the ball
when sharp passes were the order of the day. As for Mauger, so far his showing
has been a distinct let down and it is now clear that his continued lack
of pace means he is no real threat to the opposition.
In marked contrast to H.P, Lee Thomas was in fine kicking form and got the
first points for the Welshmen with a well struck penalty kick. It got better
for the visitors as the impressive Robert Sidoli won a line out before Martyn
and then Rhys Williams caught the dozy Gloucester defence napping to give
Tom Shanklin acres of space to run in for the try. The conversion put Cardiff
in the lead 10-7, somewhat against the run of play but a well taken try.
Sinbad had a fine evasive run for Gloucester but his fellow winger Marcel
Garvey was not so fortunate and limped off after 20 minutes to be replaced
by James Bailey.
H.P. continued his kicking in missing mode, as he scuffed another penalty
but did eventually put the scores level with a better kick.
Gloucester’s pack held the upper hand but despite pressure on the
Cardiff line there was no try forthcoming although back row forward Karl
Schubert hit the wrong note with cynically killing the ball and ended up
with a yellow card. The Cardiff side’s spoiling tactics paid off as
no score was forthcoming as Gloucester failed to make the extra man count.
Lee Thomas continued to show how to kick the ball and hit
the points with a penalty and followed up with a long range drop goal to
take his side into a surprise 16-10 interval lead.More
injury worries surfaced after the break when Sinbad did not reappear after
the break to be replaced by Brad Davies who went to outside half with Henry
moving to the centre and Mauger to the wing. Within five minutes of the
second half the home did get another try as Andy Hazell robbed a Cardiff
scrum before the ball was worked along the line where the pace of speedster
James Bailey took him clear to score in the corner. The conversion was missed
but the gap was now down to a solitary point 16-15.
Just
to further rub in the cost of missed kicks, Thomas kicked another long range
penalty from close to the half-way line to increase the Cardiff lead to four
points at 19 –15.
James Forrester came on to replace Andy Hazell but it didn’t get any
better for Gloucester as Jon Goodridge became another casualty as he too limped
off to be replaced by Alex Page in an already injury ravaged back division.
H.P. did kick a penalty to close the gap once more before Cardiff’s
second yellow card went to centre Shaun James for his ten minute spell in
the bin .
Terry Fanolua had the last word with the scoring as he chased
and gathered a well executed chip ahead from Henry Paul to get the try wide
out. It almost goes without saying that the conversion was missed but although
Gloucester ended with players littered about on the ground, attempts were
made to claim the bonus point try, they had to settle for a narrow win to
a scrappy game.
Too much
mist and too many mistakes.
Andy Gomarsall, James Parkes and Gary Powell were all in the wars at some
stage during the game and with the news that Simon Amor had also picked up
a knock in the Dubai Sevens, the treatment room looks like being fully utilised
next week before the difficult trip to Cardiff next week.
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Tries:
Fanolua 2, Bailey. |
Con:
Paul. |
Penalties:
Paul 2 |
GLOUCESTER:
J. Goodridge Rep: A.Page, M.Garvey rep: J.Bailey, T. Fanolua,
N.Mauger, J. Simpson-Daniel, rep: B .Davies, H. Paul, A. Gomarsall, C. Bezuidenhout, J. Parkes rep: R. Elloway, G. Powell rep: N. Wood, A. Eustace, P.Buxton, J. Boer, A. Balding, A. Hazell rep: J. Forrester |
LAST CARDIFF FIXTURE
MATCH REPORT -
Gloucester
21 Cardiff 15 --- Saturday 27 January 2001
