Latest
Overview
Season so far
Tournament record
Gloucester Rugby are one regulation win away from qualifying for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals - but they also have the incentive of home advantage in the last eight to spur them on in their double French tests. - 09/01/2013 14:55
Gloucester Rugby are one regulation win away from qualifying for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals – but they also have the incentive of home advantage in the last eight to spur them on in their double French tests.
They go to Stade André Moga in Round 5 to take on Raphael Ibanez’s Bordeaux-Begles before ending the group stages at home to Mont de Marsan.
The best four Pool winners earn home advantage in April’s quarter-finals with Bath Rugby leading that chase on 20 points, Stade Francais Paris next best on 19 and Gloucester currently another point adrift.
They won the Round 2 contest against Bordeaux at Kingsholm 25-13 with wing Charlie Sharples scoring two of their tries and go into the return looking to make it five from five and book their last eight place with a match to spare.
But the 2006 tournament champions will want to welcome Mont de Marsan to Kingsholm in Round 6 with a home quarter-final the ultimate prize.
Match Facts
- Bordeaux have lost each of their last six matches in this tournament, though the last three have been settled by margins of 12 points or less. Should they lose this match, it would extend their worst losing record in this tournament.
- These two teams have a victory each over the other in this tournament.
- Gloucester are enjoying a six-match winning run in this tournament. In four of those wins, the Cherry and Whites have conceded seven points or fewer.
- Gloucester’s Freddie Burns has 41 points in two appearances in the Amlin Challenge Cup this season, only Joe Carlisle of Worcester Warriors has more.
Gloucester Rugby clinched their place in the quarter-finals with Saturday's match at home against Mont de Marsan to spare - but still will want to finish as high as possible among the four ranked teams who will have home advantage in April's quarter-finals. - 17/01/2013 19:45
Gloucester booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup with a last-gasp win at Bordeaux-Begles on Friday night.
The former champions looked like they would have to wait another week to confirm their spot in the last eight as the French outfit led until the dying stages but Freddie Burns struck twice in the final five minutes to secure a 31-26 success.
Burns finished with 26 points courtesy of eight penalties and a conversion but bottom side Bordeaux outscored their English opponents by two tries to one at the Stade Andre Moga.
Burns’ first penalty after four minutes was sandwiched by a brace from Bordeaux full back Lachie Munro before right wing Rafael Carballo’s converted try handed the hosts a handsome 13-3 lead after 18 minutes.
But Gloucester hit back in fine fashion with 16 points in as many minutes towards the end of the half as they showed the class that had seen them win all four of their opening tournament fixtures. Burns slotted two more penalties on 20 and 24 minutes before hooker Darren Dawiduik crossed for the visitors’ only try on the half hour. The extra points from Burns were followed by a fourth successful penalty that pushed Gloucester 19-13 ahead with four minutes of the half remaining.
At that stage, Gloucester boss Nigel Davies would have hoped to see his side push on towards a comfortable win but Bordeaux-Begles had other ideas and responded in style with their second try moments before the half-time whistle. This time it was Samoan prop Tamato Leupolu who powered over, with Munro’s conversion giving his side a one-point lead at the break.
The second-half scoring was dominated by the boot as Munro and Burns twice exchanged penalties in the first 22 minutes. Munro struck on 45 and 57 minutes, with Burns responding in kind on 54 and 62.
Both teams lost players to the sin bin in a fiercely contested encounter but yellow cards for Gloucester hooker Huia Edmonds after 56 minutes and Bordeaux lock Andrew Chauveau seven minutes later failed to result in the game’s fourth try.
With the home side 26-25 ahead, fly-half Camille Lopez failed with a drop goal that would have left Gloucester chasing a try and that miss proved costly as Burns struck twice more, the first with five minutes remaining and the second in the final few seconds.
LIVE - TEST - Commentary