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Gloucester's fine home win over reigning English champions Harlequins on Good Friday was just the tonic Nigel Davies' men needed ahead of their European quarter-final clash with the reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions Biarritz Olympique. - 01/04/2013 11:04
Gloucester’s fine home win over reigning English champions Harlequins on Good Friday was just the tonic Nigel Davies’ men needed ahead of their European quarter-final clash with the reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions Biarritz Olympique.
As well as putting the west countrymen back in the hunt for a Heineken Cup slot via their domestic league, it also confirmed to Davies his side can play at an intensity needed to carry on their European adventure.
This is the second season in a row that Biarrtiz gave qualified for the Amlin quarters and last year the two-time Heineken Cup finalists showed they can go all the way by beating Toulon in the final.
The Frenchmen became used to winning on the road in England last year, defeating London Wasps at Adams Park in the quarter-finals and then Toulon at Twickenham Stoop.
The big worry for Gloucester is that one of their former players, Dimitri Yachvili, is all set to return and potentially kick them out of the tournament. The French scrum half has been in fine form in the last two weekends in the Top 14, scoring 14 points in the win over Grenoble having plundered 22 the previous weekend in the 32-28 home victory over ASM Clermont Auvergne.
Match Facts
- This will be Gloucester’s fourth quarter-final appearance in the tournament. The Cherry and Whites have won two of the previous three.
- Freddie Burns has landed more kicks at goal than any other player in this season’s Amlin Challenge Cup, landing 24/28 (86%) to date. Only one player (Nicolas Laharrague) who has attempted over 10 place kicks has a better success rate.
- Fabien Barcella of Biarritz, who are reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions, conceded 12 penalties in the pool stage of the Heineken Cup – a competition high figure.
- These two clubs have clashed on four occasions in the Heineken Cup, securing two wins apiece. All four games were won by the home side.
- Both Amlin Challenge Cup meetings were won by the home side as well.
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Gloucester have won all six of their Amlin Challenge Cup matches this season and their last nine overall, their best run of form in the tournament.
Les Basques
Biarritz Olympique became the first side into the semi-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup with a stunning 41-31 win over Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm.
The reigning champions produced a breathtaking display in the West Country, outscoring their hosts by five tries to three in a thrilling encounter.
Wing Teddy Thomas bagged a brace of first-half scores and hooker Arnaud Heguy also touched down before the break, while centre Benoit Baby and replacement back rower Seremaia Burotu added to the tally in the second period.
Gloucester began the try-scoring through Mike Tindall after just 14 minutes but had to wait until injury time for their next two tries as Shane Monahan and Huia Edmonds breached the Biarritz defence after the Basque giants had put the game to bed.
Biarritz scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili was named Amlin Man of the Match on his return to his old club and he was at the heart of one of the most impressive European displays of the season so far.
It was Yachvili’s clever cross kick that led to Thomas’ second score on 32 minutes, 10 minutes after Takudzwa Ngwenya’s stunning break set him on the way to his first.
Forward power produced Biarritz’s third try three minutes before half-time as Gloucester had no answer to a driving maul.
Yachvili converted all three first-half scores to add to a single penalty and a Damien Traille drop goal but Gloucester will point to the fact that each try came when they were a man short after Koree Britton was sent to the sin bin just as Dario Chistolini returned from 10 minutes out.
A fourth Freddie Burns penalty early in the second period hinted at a possible comeback despite the 27-14 half-time deficit but Baby put the result beyond doubt when he finished off another 70 metre break from Ngwenya.
Burotu added an even greater gloss to the scoreline with five minutes left but Gloucester did at least restore some respectability when replacement wing Monahan crossed just before the end and Edmonds followed suit with the final play.
Biarritz now await the winners of tomorrow night’s quarter-final between London Wasps and Leinster Rugby, with Biarritz looking for another big win on the road as they aim to become the first side to retain their Amlin Challenge Cup crown.
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