Gloucester’s interest in the Heineken Cup disappeared on Saturday night despite a brave performance at Agen’s Stade Armandie fortress in a match highlighted by the brilliance of Agen danger-man Rupeni Caucaunibuca.

The Fijian winger trampled all over promising Gloucester full-back Ollie Morgan before slipping a beautiful pass to Pepito Elhorga for the game’s opening try, which was converted as a groggy Morgan was helped from the field.

Minutes later, a stray kick from Ryan Lamb was punished when winger Dave Vainquer put inside centre Arnaud Mignardi over for a try, and it was 14-0 after 14 minutes as the visitors’ Cup quarter-final hopes looked to have been swept aside by an orange tidal wave.

Gloucester’s Iain Balshaw went close on the quarter mark, and Agen lock Conrad Stolz didn’t help the home cause by being sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul. Lamb looked to have ruined a golden opportunity for points with an ill-judged chip through, but some good work from rugged back-rower Peter Buxton gave Balshaw the space to give Gloucester their opening try.

The comeback didn’t last long. Gloucester centre Mike Tindall followed Stolz into the sin-bin after blatantly coming into the ruck from the side, and he soon had company as props Carlos Nieto (Gloucester) and Laurent Cabarry (Agen) were binned for trading punches.

Gloucester went into the break trailing 14-5, but kept everyone interested with a 55th-minute penalty goal from Lamb. And travelling fans were on their feet when Balshaw gave replacement scrum-half Peter Richards the time and space to score under the posts.

Lamb’s conversion made it a two-point game, Vainquer became the fifth player to see Courtney’s yellow card and Lamb’s penalty goal gave his side the lead for the first time. It lasted barely two minutes, however, as Miquel coolly slotted a penalty goal that he earned with a blatant dive as he ran into back-rower Adam Balding.

Another Miquel penalty edged Agen further ahead, and he added a third as Gloucester failed to take advantage of a brilliant 80-metre break from winger James Simpson-Daniel.

Caucaunibuca chipped ahead in the final minute and replacement backrower Jake Boer  spent the rest of the match in the sin-bin by taking him out without the ball. He didn’t miss much – except Miquel’s fourth penalty goal to secure victory.