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GLOUCESTER did enough to pass their first French test but will face a much sterner examination next week when they visit Perpignan.
It was a larger margin of victory than the run of play would have suggested, made possible in the main by Gloucester’s French fly half Ludovic Mercier, who scored 23 of the home side’s 33 points.
Ludo’s excellent contribution was ably backed up by young winger Marcel Garvey, who returned from injury to bag a brace of second half tries. He has now scored four tries in three Heineken Cup Games.
However there was a definite feeling that Gloucester will need a significantly improved showing when they travel to France for the return fixture next week if they are to secure a home quarter-final tie.
Perpignan presented typical French opposition-a strong scrum, with a big physical pack and a back line quick to counter-attack but with their flair couteracted by bouts of indiscipline.
Gloucester led 16-3 after a scrappy first half, without ever securing control or domination. Indeed the home side are not at the moment playing with their early season fluency and at times much of their play was laboured and disjointed.
The line out play was scrappy and the scrums a mess which did not help continuity, any more than the regular penalty infringements, which fortunately were mostly in Glooucester’s favour.
ALL FIRST HALF POINTS FOR LUDO
Ludo scored all Gloucester’s first half points - two penalties to start with, as the French side were punished for a string of scrummage offences. Eventually they lost prop Renaud Peillard to the sin-bin before Ludo split their defence with a smart move for the vital opening try.
Perpignan’s discipline let them down all too often as they were penalised but conceded further ground by petulantly throwing the ball away. Eventually they got their act together, began to concentrate and started to look a better side.
Australian outside-half Manny Edmunds added a penalty for the visitors but at 16-3 at the break Gloucester must have been reasonably happy with the score.
After the interval it was very much a different story as Perpignan’s other colonial import, Canadian No. 8 Phil Murphy made a big dent in the Gloucester defence when he charged out of their half but the effort came to nothing as the final pass went astray.
Edmunds landed two penalties early in the second half to bring Perpignan back to within seven points at 16-9 but Ludo the increased the Gloucester lead with a fifty yard penalty kick.
A strong line out drive from the Cherry and Whites pack saw scrum half Andy Gomarsall set up Marcel Garvey with a cleverly weighted pass on the short side for the winger to dive over in the corner. Ludo kicked the conversion to give the home side some breathing space.
POWERFUL FRENCH PACK
However a series of powerful drives from the French pack close to the line saw Argentine lock Rimas Alverez Kairleis bundled over for a try to take the score to 26-16 with ten minutes to go and boost their confidence.
Gloucester hit back strongly and moved the ball through Ollie Azam and Jamie Forrester, before Ludo threw out a long pass to Marcel who accelerated through the smallest of gaps to make the game safe with his second try. Almost inevitably Ludo converted from the touchline.
With skipper Phil Vickery limping, Chris Fortey and Duggie Woodman sidelined through injury and front row resources limited by the September registration deadline, Gloucester could well have problems up front where the Perpignan pack looked particularly strong in the set pieces.
Ed Pearce had a good game after his suspension and it was good to see Chris Catling back as a replacement but on the day Gloucester’s stars were Ludo and Marcel.
A much tougher match in the bitter cold than the scoreboard suggested but next week’s encounter will even tougher. Gloucester can be sure of a warm reception in Perpignan, who will doubtless fancy their chances on their own ground in front of their own crowd.
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Gloucester do just enough to pass French test
