With both teams going into the game unbeaten, something had to give and it was the home side who maintained their perfect start to the competition. Efforts from Mark Atkinson, Josh Hohneck and Ollie Thorley did the damage for the home side, with captain Greig Laidlaw adding 12 points with his right boot.

Centre Matt Scott completed a good night’s work for the home side with their fourth score late on to seal a vital bonus point.

After Henry Purdy had an early effort rightly ruled out for a knock on following his own chip and chase, it was the French visitors who moved ahead. With the giant France prop Uini Atonio and former All Black Victor Vito in their ranks, La Rochelle clearly decided brute power was the way to go. It worked, too.

A series of carries with 24-stone prop Atonio at the heart of things ended with an easy finish for Kevin Gourdon, the flanker waltzing through to dot down. Zack Holmes added the extras, but that was as good as it got for them before the break.

Gloucester soon hit back with Purdy and man of the match Billy Burns excelling in the first 40. Centre Atkinson scored the first for David Humphreys’ side, standing up in the tackle to find his way to the line and dot down. Laidlaw kicked the conversion and a penalty to put his team back in front and it soon got even better.

With Laidlaw dictating things from the base, the Scottish skipper started a lovely blindside move which ended with Purdy finding prop Hohneck inside him to power over. Laidlaw was awry with the touchline conversion, but there was still time for one more before the break.

Again it was Purdy who was the instigator, his break leaving the French defence at sixes and sevens. When the ball was recycled, Burns – whose kicking game was first class – found Thorley with a chip into space which the winger collected for an easy finish.

This time, Laidlaw nailed the touchline conversion for a 22-7 interval lead. Needing a fast start to the second period, La Rochelle got exactly that. From the kick-off they dominated the physical collisions as their giant pack showed why they have been the surprise package in this season’s TOP14. Constant visiting pressure resulted in wing David Raikuna diving over, Holmes again splitting the posts with the conversion.

Laidlaw settled some nerves with a second penalty and added another in the 64th minute to make it 28-14 as the game descended into a forward battle which the home side edged.

The hulking Atonio was one of a number of La Rochelle forwards to leave the field in the second period, but their replacements couldn’t quite make the impact coaches Patrice Collazo and Xavier Garbajosa would have wanted.

In the end they left with nothing to show for their efforts, Scott sending the Kingsholm crowd home happy when he crashed over with just two minutes remaining.