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Gloucester wing Jonny May is determined to sweep aside Zebre on their way to a 100 percent record in the European Rugby Challenge Cup pool stages. - 12/12/2014 10:31
Gloucester wing Jonny May is determined to sweep aside Zebre on their way to a 100 percent record in the European Rugby Challenge Cup pool stages.
The Cherry and Whites have won all three games so far, they have already seen off the challenges of French sides Brive and Oyonnax and won the first leg of the European double-header against Zebra last weekend.
They have three matches still to negotiate, but May thinks they will be well on the path to perfection if they can do the Italian job this weekend.
He said: “We want to win all of these group games but we know how tough it’s going to be. They came here, had a good run and will back themselves at their place so we have to make sure our game is right.”
Zebre have one win from their three European outings so far, when they clinched a famous 26-21 triumph at Brive. But they failed to clinch back-to-back victories for the first time as they slipped to a 35-10 defeat at Kingsholm. But it will be a different task at the Stadio XXV Aprille, where Ulster and Edinburgh have already been put to the sword in the PRO12.
May added: “It helps that we have a few players back and that can lift the boys , we will try to have as much of a positive impact as we can but it’s just working in and for the team.
“We have to have confidence in our game plan and if we do our basics right we will have a good chance – making the right decisions, making sure passes stick and that we play good solid rugby should be enough to win.”
Match Facts:
- Tom Savage has completed 29/29 tackles in this year’s competition, no player has made more without missing a single hit.
- Gloucester Rugby have won three out of three in the Challenge Cup so far this season by an average winning margin of 30 points.
- Gloucester recorded their second biggest win ever in the Challenge Cup against an Italian team, however their win last week over Zebre was their second lowest margin of victory against an Italian side.
- Greig Laidlaw leads the way at the half way mark in the pool stages for points scored, amassing 43 points in his first three games.
Gloucester maintained their perfect start to life in the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a bonus-point 32-16 triumph over 14-man Zebre. - 13/12/2014 17:00
Gloucester maintained their perfect start to life in the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a bonus-point 32-16 triumph over 14-man Zebre.
The Cherry and Whites top Pool Five on 19 points after they recovered from a shaky start to score four tries in Parma.
Ben Morgan wrapped up the bonus-point after Steve McColl, Henry Purdy and Charlie Sharples had all crossed for Gloucester after David Odiete saw red for Zebre.
But they were in for a nervy final ten minutes after Giambattista Venditti and Dries van Schalkwyk crossed for late tries.
Luciano Orquera booted the hosts in-front after six minutes. Zebre got the nudge at a scrum and were awarded a penalty, which the Italy outside-half converted. It took another three points from the boot of Orquera to spring the Cherry and Whites into action.
Captain Billy Twelvetrees broke-free in midfield from a line-out and set May on a mazing run, his bundled offload eventually found full-back McColl, who ran it in at the posts for his third try in as many weeks.
Hook landed a penalty after Gloucester hit back at the scrum, but then came the decision that would give the Cherry and Whites the edge. Odiete, who had just entered the fray, was shown a red card on half-time for taking McColl out in the air.
Twelvetrees played an integral role in the visitors’ second score five minutes after the break.
His sidestep created space to offload to rookie centre Purdy, who shook off a defender and accelerated under the posts.
Sharples sliced through for the third try to put Gloucester 22-6 ahead after he latched onto a perfectly timed pass from Hook, who failed to convert. Morgan clinched the bonus-point score moments later, with Hook the architect again. He fed England’s man of the Autumn after slicing through.
Aleki Lutui was sin-binned before Venditti and van Schalkwyk crossed to give Humphreys’ side a nervy final ten minutes. But Billy Burns knocked over a late penalty to give Gloucester a 32-16 victory.
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