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Gloucester Rugby will welcome back All Black lock Jeremy Thrush as they look to continue their charge towards the European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-finals against La Rochelle. - 14/12/2016 17:02
Gloucester Rugby will welcome back All Black lock Jeremy Thrush as they look to continue their charge towards the European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-finals against La Rochelle.
The Cherry and Whites claimed a bonus-point 35-14 triumph over the TOP14 side last weekend to earn a maximum of 15 points from three rounds of Challenge Cup action. Another five point victory at Stade Marcel Deflandre would cement their place at the summit of Pool 1 and all-but guarantee their place in the last eight.
Gloucester face a La Rochelle side reeling from last week’s Kingsholm defeat, but David Humphreys will have Thrush back at his disposal after he recovered from a calf injury that has kept him out since the start of the season.
Forwards coach Trevor Woodman said: “Thrushy's worked hard to get back into contention so it's almost like an exclusive announcing that he’s up for selection this weekend and he's likely to be in the matchday squad. It's been a frustrating period for him and for the team that someone of his quality's not been out there and involved in the 23.”
“You just to have a look at their strength and size and once they get into their power game as we found from the first five, 10 minutes if we concede field position they get into their power runners
and they're hard to stop.
“So we've got to make sure that we don't concede field position through anything sloppy by set piece or turning the ball over and deny them that opportunity to get into their power game.”
La Rochelle will fancy their chances of getting a revenge victory on Gloucester, having not lost at the Stade Marcel Deflandre all season. And captain Jason Eaton is hoping to turn the tables.
He said: “We will be going for revenge at home, its another short turnaround for us, and it’s quite odd to be playing the same team again, but hopefully we can change the result.”
Gabriel Lacroix crossed for a double as La Rochelle overpowered Gloucester to claim a 42-13 European Rugby Champions Cup triumph. - 17/12/2016 21:47
Gabriel Lacroix crossed for a double as La Rochelle overpowered Gloucester to claim a 42-13 European Rugby Champions Cup triumph.
The TOP14 heavyweights overpowered the Cherry and Whites from the off as they retook control of Pool 1 after their Kingsholm defeat last weekend. Lacroix crossed for a brace of tries to add to scores from Kini Murimurivalu, Hikairo Forbes and Botia Veivuke, before they wrapped it up with a late penalty try.
Gloucester got back in it through John Afoa after half-time, but the giant La Rochelle pack laid the foundations to send the French side back to the summit of the pool with two games remaining. Billy Burns fired Gloucester in-front after only two minutes with penalty after a powerful scrum, but Brock James levelled three minutes later.
The home side turned up the heat at another set-piece to shunt Gloucester back and earn a second penalty, and James made no mistake from the tee. And it got even worse for the Cherry and Whites when La Rochelle wing Lacroix beat James Hook to squeeze in for a try at the corner for an 11-3 advantage.
La Rochelle allowed Burns to pull Gloucester back to within five points with a penalty, but the hosts showed their clinical streak when full-back Murimurivalu cut a devastating angle to score a second try. James converted, before the French side shunted Forbes over the line from close range to make it 23-6 at half-time.
Gloucester got back in it though after the break when Afoa crashed over after a strong carry from centre Mark Atkinson. Burns converted before Matt Scott was shown yellow for a loose boot at a ruck. And Lacroix made them pay when he scooped up a James cross-kick to score the bonus point try.
The game was wrapped up when Botia latched onto an Murimurivalu offload, before a penalty try finished the job for La Rochelle.
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