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Nigel Davies has called on his Gloucester side to bounce back once again and kick-off their Heineken Cup Pool 6 campaign in style. - 11/10/2013 13:52
Nigel Davies has called on his Gloucester side to bounce back once again and kick-off their Heineken Cup Pool 6 campaign in style.
The English Premiership outfit host Perpignan in their opening match in Europe this season and are desperate to get back to winning ways after a home defeat to Exeter Chiefs last weekend.
Yet Cherry and Whites boss Davies has every faith that his men can recover from that reverse – the third league defeat in five matches – by overcoming the French giants at Kingsholm.
Davies said: “Everyone is hugely frustrated with that performance, but the team is better than that, far better than that – I absolutely believe that. It's all my responsibility, and I will pick the players up.
“We bounced back from the first two games of the season and we bounced back really well. And I expect the same thing to happen again. One thing we've done constantly in my time here is we've bounced back from defeat.
“When you've got momentum things are easier and we've got to generate it all over again. I'm very positive about this group of players, sometimes more so than they are in themselves – and that's something we'll address too.”
This is the third Heineken Cup meeting between the sides with both clubs recording a win apiece back in 2002. Gloucester’s Olly Morgan has been forced to retire from the game while Perpignan lock Luke Charteris could return for his first game of 2013 following a knee injury.
The giant Wales forward, capped 40 times, made his comeback in a 40-minute display for the Catalans’ development side last weekend and the 30-year-old has not suffered any adverse reaction.
Match Facts
Saturday, 12 October 2013; 18:00, Kingsholm; Sky Sports, Sport+
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wal)
Assistant Ref: Ian Davies (Wal) Assistant Ref: Sean Brickell (Wal)
TMO: Tim Hayes (Wal) Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (Wal)
- Gloucester and Perpignan met in the pool stage of the 2002/03 tournament with both teams picking up a home victory.
- The Cherry & Whites have won eight, drawn one and lost nine of their Heineken Cup clashes with sides from across the Channel.
- Gloucester and Perpignan return to the Heineken Cup after one and two-year absences respectively.
- Perpignan averaged 43 points per game last season in the Amlin Challenge Cup, only Worcester (59) averaged more.
Gloucester got their Heineken Cup campaign off to a perfect start with a late victory over a spirited Perpignan side. - 12/10/2013 21:09
Gloucester got their Heineken Cup campaign off to a perfect start with a late victory over a spirited Perpignan side.
Nigel Davies’ men only led for 10 minutes in the whole of the game but wing Jonny May gave Gloucester a hard-fought win with a try six minutes from time.
The home side had made the worst possible start at Kingsholm when James Hook crossed for a try for Perpignan within 60 seconds. Outside-half Camille Lopez kicked to the corner and his chip was expertly collected and released in one movement by wing Wandile Mjekevu to put Hook over.
The home side took 10 minutes to get a foothold in the game with two quick penalties from Billy Twelvetrees before Hook nudged Perpignan’s advantage back to four points with a long-range penalty.
Hook added another three points before Gloucester had a try disallowed when Jimmy Cowan was adjudged to have come up short with his dive from the base of the scrum.
Gloucester did get three points on the stroke of half time and the home side came out firing at the beginning of the second period.
Perpignan scrum-half Nicolas Durand was soon sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Mike Tindall and when stand-in No9 Sofiane Guitoune was penalised for a crooked feed into the scrum, Cowan was first to react with a quick free kick to cross for a try.
Twelvetrees added the conversion but instead of building on their advantage Gloucester handed the momentum back to the visitors.
Hook kicked a third penalty and Perpignan should have had their second try but for some wasteful handling.
Referee Leighton Hodges called the action back to send Gloucester’s Matt Kvesic to the bin and Hook made no mistake with the penalty.
When Hook slotted a drop goal 18 minutes from time the game looked to be slipping away from Gloucester but a Twelvetrees penalty set up a thrilling finish.
The home side thought they’d won it when May dived over eight minutes from time but video replays showed a forward pass from Tindall in the build up. But May was not to be denied his moment of glory and the winger crossed again two minutes later to seal the win.
Perpignan’s misery was compounded by a red card for centre Lifeimi Mafi for a dangerous tackle on Ryan Mills.
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