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James Hook is targeting a home quarter-final as Gloucester look to secure a quarter-final berth against Oyonnax in Pool 5 of the Challenge Cup. - 13/01/2015 14:40
James Hook is targeting a home quarter-final as Gloucester look to secure a quarter-final berth against Oyonnax in Pool 5 of the Challenge Cup.
The Cherry and Whites are unbeaten and have taken 19 points from a possible 20 and a fifth win of the campaign against the French club on Saturday will ensure they cannot be denied top spot and tee them up to end the pool stage as the tournament’s number one seeds.
Fly-half Hook and his team-mates are in good form after securing back to back Aviva Premiership wins over Exeter and Saracens, and the Wales international wants to finish the job in style.
He said: “We have been given a huge confidence boost. We beat a good side in Exeter and we beat a champion side in Saracens.
“We have to build from those results, the atmosphere was brilliant against Saracens, I have never known an atmosphere like it at Kingsholm and we now move back to European competition.
“We have to try and get a home quarter-final, we know Oyonnax are a tough team but we need to go again.”
Flanker Matt Kvesic has warned Oyonnax there is still more improvement to come from Gloucester, despite serious injuries to England number eight Ben Morgan and prop Nick Wood.
He added: “There is still a lot to come from this team. We got the win against Saracens even though we were not excellent. There are a lot of things that we can do better and we will be reviewing them this week.
“It doesn’t stop with the game against Oyonnax and if we can get a win it would push us along nicely. We are all but booked in but we want to perform and deliver the best rugby we can.”
Match facts
- Gloucester have won all four games this season, Edinburgh are the only other club to maintain a 100% record.
- Gloucester have won their last 12 games in the pool stage of the Challenge Cup, their last defeat in this stage of the tournament came at home against French opposition.
- Oyonnax have conceded the fewest metres in the Challenge Cup to date, restricting their opponents to an average of 267 metres per game.
- Charlie Sharples of Gloucester leads the try-scoring charts with four.
Indiscutable leader de la poule 5 d'European Rugby Challenge Cup
Gloucester secured their quarter final place in the European Rugby Challenge Cup, taking their points tally to 24 from a possible 25 in Pool One with a comfortable 33-3 win over French side Oyonnax.
Early tries from Billy Burns, Mark Atkinson, England wing Jonny May and a late score from substitute scrum half Dan Robson sealed the win at the Kingsholm Stadium. A penalty try and four Greg Laidlaw conversions added to Gloucester’s total as they secured top spot in the pool with a game to go.
Captain Billy Twelvetrees was the star of an eventful first half, his low kick setting up Burns for the first try before Atkinson crossed to make 14-3. May’s solo run and a penalty try threatened to turn it into an exhibition match but Oyonnax clung on.
Fly half Regis Lespinas kicked a penalty, which was the only score for Oyonnax and neither side made their second half chances count until Robson’s try made it 33-3. The French club now face a struggle to qualify for the quarter finals, remaining on 16 points.
Gloucester travel to Brive on Thursday in the knowledge that if they can pick up at least one point they will welcome one of the second-placed teams to Kingsholm in the last eight.
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