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Kingsholm |
Saturday 30 October 2004 |
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Paul points the way |
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Ulstermen hit for six |
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Gloucester 55 Ulster 13 |
GLOUCESTER’S forwards laid the foundations for a convincing bonus point win at Kingsholm to get their Heineken Cup campaign back on track after the disappointment of the defeat in Paris that still hurts.
Even though Ulster had briefly edged their way in front early on against the run of play, the Irishmen lacked the fire power up front to gain the possession needed to secure an important away win, as the Cherry and White’s pack achieved dominance in all phases of the game.
Gloucester notched up six tries, two of them from interceptions and the game was virtually over and done with before the last quarter. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the home side because victory came at a cost with Duncan MacRae being carried off with a nasty-looking neck injury which could mean a lengthy lay-off. In addition Terry Fanolua , Alex Brown and Ollie Azam were all replaced, hopefully suffering from less serious injuries.
Henry Paul slotted early penalties and after 15 minutes the home side had a 9—3 lead, before Irish international David Humphries got Ulster on the scoreboard and then scored the first try of the afternoon after a break by his half back partner Neil Doake
H.P.’s improved kicking form continued when he made it four out of four, before Gloucester got their first try when a loose Humphrey’s pass was picked up by his opposite number Duncan MacRae, who raced away from inside his own half to score.Ulster’s lead was short-lived as Gloucester’s pack gradually took control with outstanding back row men James Forrester and Andy Hazell to the fore, well supported by Chris Fortey in his first start of the season, before the second try scored just before the break, when MacRae and Paul combined to put full back Jon Goodridge through on a lovely angled run. H.P. converted and the home side led by 13 points at the interval.
Ulster’s cause was not helped by the sin-binning of prop forward Rod Moore followed by an H.P. dropped goal after a powerful forward drive, before the unfortunate MacRae was stretchered off with a seroius neck injury.The Cherry and Whites pack kept up their pressure and Christo Bezuidenhout was driven over for the third try. The conversion took the lead to 36-13 and was quickly followed by a gift-wrapped interception try from that top-form winger James Simpson-Daniel.
Out-of- form Terry Fanolua limped off and despite also losing both Alex Brown and Ollie Azam with knocks in the second half, Gloucester kept up the forward pressure. On the plus side, the front row unit was always totally in charge in both the loose and the set-piece, with Christo and Vicks looking in much better shape than in earlier games.H.P. went to fly-half, Sinbad moved into the centre and it was good to see young James Bailey get a chance on the field. Mark Cornwell was back in action after injury, although he ended the game in the sin-bin after a bout of fisticuffs but the injury toll must be a real concern.
The game became very disjointed with players coming and going, seemingly non-stop changes and consequently as a contest, almost a rout, as replacement Adam Balding sent winger Marcel Garvey in for a score. The game dragged on and deep into the prolonged injury time, Balding then squeezed over from a line-out drive, for one for himself—the sixth Gloucester try and the final nail in the Ulster coffin. Henry Paul finished the game with a 25 point tally and seems to have recovered his place kicking form whilst his general all-round performance was once again very sound.
The Cherry and Whites have gone some way to restoring their pride after the poor start in this year’s European excursion at Stade. The next away trip in the Heineken Cup at Cardiff will be crucial and although the Welshmen looked very poor against the Stade, Gloucester’s form away from the home comforts of Kingsholm does not always inspire the utmost confidence.
Gloucester are now entering a testing part of the season with very difficult Zurich Premiership fixtures, the visit to Leicester, closely followed by European Champions, Wasps, visit to Kingsholm, plus England’s Autumn Internationals at Twickenham and the likely loss of key players, before the resumption of Heineken Cup action in December.A tricky time which will establish if there is true depth in cover for the inevitable injuries and absentees.
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Tries
: McRae, Goodridge, Bezuidenhout, Simpson-Daniel, Garvey, Balding |
Conversions:
Paul 5 |
Penalties:
Paul 4 |
Drop
Goals: Paul |
| GLOUCESTER:
J. Goodridge, M.Garvey, T. Fanolua rep: J.Bailey, H.Paul , J.Simpson-Daniel,
D.McRae:rep: N.Mauger, A. Gomarsall, C. Bezuidenhout, C.Fortey rep: O.Azam, P. Vickery rep:G. Powell, A. Eustace rep: M.Cornwell, A. Brown rep:A. Balding, J. Boer, J. Forrester, A.Hazell : |
