Ravaged Gloucester ‘not even having selection meetings’ as Toulon run riot

Gloucester 14 Toulon 31

With their domestic struggles and a torrid injury list, it would not be hyperbolic to suggest that Gloucester’s season was on the line. Ninth in the Prem, with just one victory to speak of, missing a host of regulars, the Cherry and Whites’ salvation this season seemed European in flavour – at best. They welcomed Toulon to Kingsholm with both sides able to progress to the last 16 of the Champions Cup, with a spot in the Challenge Cup also available for the hosts. To quote Anne Robinson, however: Gloucester left with nothing; not even a spot in Europe’s secondary competition to show for their efforts.

“The reality is that some of their players are world class and some of our lads are learning their trade,” said George Skivington, Gloucester’s director of rugby. “We have to learn fast. The boys were heroic in defence and work-rate but there were just some street-smarts and power [which were lacking].

“We are strapped in a lot of positions. I understand the frustrations but there are some players we could not even drop if we wanted to. We are not having selection meetings. We are asking guys to go to the well every week who might have been bit-part players. They’re doing everything they can – a great job – but they’re learning and that comes with a cost.

“It’s a ridiculous injury streak – we haven’t had this before. We’re investigating everything [as to why].”

Toulon departed the West Country victorious on the scoreboard after a sharp first half but their showing after the break left plenty to be desired. The visitors crossed three times in the first 40 but it took until the last play of the match for them to clinch the try bonus point. Some of their young backs played in stylish fashion, but they looked a million miles off title contenders under the second-half lights at Kingsholm.

Of course, that is all relative. Toulon could only play what was in front of them and at no stage did defeat look likely. Gloucester’s effort and commitment cannot be chastised but an upset was just never on the cards. The hosts were outclassed for 40 minutes and their opposition coasted for the next 40. The worry for Toulon is that the best teams – Toulouse and Bordeaux among them – would have won by 50.

Before the game, the saving grace for Gloucester was knowing the stakes exactly: victory of any sort, due to a superior points difference and after Castres’s unimaginable victory at Munster, would secure qualification for the last 16 of the Champions Cup.

But Toulon had other ideas. The French aristocrats are fifth in the Top 14 and arrived at Kingsholm close to full strength. They crossed three times in the first half, twice in style. The first came from centre Oliver Cowie – the French under-20 born near St Tropez but to English parents – offloading sweetly to Ben White, before a howitzer of a pass sent Gaël Dréan over.

With the visitors purring, they came back the other way. Cowie was instrumental again in the ball-carry before a similar Hail Mary pass, this time from Juan-Ignacio Brex, found Mathis Ferté in the opposite corner.

Gloucester did reply, Jack Clement barging through the feeble tackle of White, but were already looking second best. Seb Atkinson in the centres, desperate to impress after missing England’s autumn, was guilty of trying a little too hard at times in what is, admittedly, quite a desperate cause. At least, for the hosts, captain Tomos Williams returned from injury.

As the jeers and eeyores ramped up for Zach Mercer, the No 8 formerly of the Kingsholm parish, Lewis Ludlam, the ex-Saint, added a third from close range, with Toulon turning the screw at the scrum.

Marius Domon added three more points from the tee to extend the visitors’ buffer; a 17-point lead after just under an hour was curtains for Gloucester. It was, however, touching to see Will Crane, the hosts’ part-time hooker-turned-mortgage-advisor, leaving the field to warm applause after a mighty effort against an all-international front row.

Jérémy Sinzelle made a complete hash of a long kick to allow Williams to grab a second for Gloucester.

But Dréan’s late second meant that Toulon returned to the Côte d’Azur with the full complement of points, if little else.

Match details

Scoring sequence: 0-5 Drean try, 0-7 Domon con, 0-12 Ferty try, 0-14 Domon con, 5-14 Clement try, 7-14 Barton con, 7-19 Ludlam try, 7-21 Domon con, 7-24 Domon pen, 12-24 Williams try, 14-24 Barton con, 14-29 Dream try, 14-31 Domon con.

Gloucester: G Barton; J Hathaway, W Butler, S Atkinson (R Byrne 60), J Cotgreave (J Morris 60); C Atkinson, T Williams © (M Austin 78); D Bleuler (V Rapava Ruskin 44), W Crane (G Knowles 62), N Laulala (C Knight 44), D Eite, M Alemanno, W Trenholm (D Gwynne 64), L Ludlow, J Clement (J Venter 55).
Replacement: Austin.

Toulon: M Domon; G Drean, J-I Brex, O Cowie (J Sinzelle 67), M Ferte; T Albornoz (M Garcia 77), B White (B Serin 54); J-B Gros (D Priso 46), T Baubigny (J Toevalu 77), K Sinckler (L Ametlla 67), D Ribbans (c), B Alainu’uese (G Javakhia 54), L Ludlam, C Ollivon (c), Z Mercer (E Abadie 60).

Referee: E Cross.

Attendance: 11,527.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]