DRENCHED by the
sun one week, then drenched by a downpour the next, as the heavens opened
at Kingsholm.
Frustrated by the referee one week, bailed out by another referee the
next. Gloucester got out of jail as the referee Roy Maybank awarded
a penalty try against Sale at the end of a lengthy period of time added-on
which enabled the home side to snatch a win and save the match in dramatic
fashion.
Not that there was too much to get excited about during normal time,
for as a spectacle, the match was ruined by the quite atrocious conditions
as showers gave way to a deluge of incessant heavy rain. Under the circumstances
it was no surprise that play was disjointed and the only fluidity was
from the sky, passes were dropped and kicks missed, as both sides struggled
to play against the elements as much as the opposition.
Sale one of the sides fancied to do well in the Premiership this season
were awarded four penalties within the first ten minutes but the normally
reliable Charlie Hodgson was fortunately off-target with three kicks
at goal.
Following on from the high penalty count at the Worcester game, the
area of discipline and infringements must surely be an area of concern
for the Gloucester coaching staff. Although some decisions and interpretations
were hard to understand - contrary to popular belief, all referees do
make mistakes, just like players but they aren’t always wrong or to
blame.
Not surprisingly Sale were well organised, sharp and determined and
were the first to score through outstanding French star strongman Sebastian
Chabal, after Gloucester captain Phil Vickery was yellow carded for
stamping. Ludovic Mercier had spilled the ball, Sale took it forward
through their pack and their powerful No. 8 got the first touch-down.
Although down to fourteen men the Cherry and Whites were kept in touch
as Ludo kicked two penalties to edge the home side in front but Sale
added a second try. Chabal broke clear from a scrum to exploit the blind-side
and star top scoring winger Mark Cueto applied the finishing touch-down
and Hodgson converted well from wide out to make the score 12-6 to the
visitors at half time.
Not surprisingly goal kicking was bit of a lottery as Sale missed five
kicks at goal through Hodgson and full back Daniel Larrechea and Ludo
three penalties and a conversion to a try scored by Gloucester hooker
Olivier Azam whose strength and physical presence served the home side
well, to reduce the margin to 11-12 but Larrechea looked to have sealed
the game for the visitors with two second half penalties.
At
last the Gloucester pack managed to secure parity with their opponents
and Ludo kicked a penalty to narrow the gap to 14-18 and the final quarter
was all Gloucester as they pressed for the winning try.
Andy Hazell charged down a clearance kick and Sale were forced to desperately
defend a series of line-out catch and drives close the their line. Referee
Maybank penalised the visitors four time in succession and in turn sent
both Chris Jones and Andrew Sheridan to the sin-bin for pulling the
drive down.
Eventually the power and numbers told as the Gloucester pack drove over
the line only to be pulled down yet again but this time the fateful
penalty try was awarded.
The Sale players were distraught but the Gloucester players, those off
and on the pitch, were elated. Gloucester had somehow scraped through
at the death.
Vickery is not yet the force he can and should be and clearly needs
much more game time and the other England international Mike Tindall
put in a couple of strong cross-field bursts before he left the field
with what looked like a possible minor strain.
This did allow young replacement centre Jack Adams enough time to make
a searing break that deserved a better fate than to be penalised.
Alex Brown performed well in the line out and the throwing in was better,
thanks to Ollie and Mefin Davies
The Gloucester pack has yet to establish dominance up front this season,
in the scrum or the loose, as bulk, strength and authority are in short
supply when it matters and consequently behind the scrum the backs have
been obliged to manage on less than their full share of the ball.
