Gloucester v Bath (Sat) - GP - Final Weekend

[getofmeland]

<div align="center"> Gloucester v Bath</div>
GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP
Date: Saturday, 10 May Kick-off: 1500 BST Venue: Kingsholm
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Gloucestershire 1413 AM, BBC Radio Bristol 104.6 FM and BBC Somerset 95.5 FM and 1566 AM; live scores on BBC Sport website

Gloucester's England wing Lesley Vainikolo has recovered from a hamstring strain and will play.

Iain Balshaw replaces the injured Olly Morgan at full-back, while number eight Gareth Delve will face his old club.

Bath rest full-back Nick Abendanon (hamstring), with Joe Maddock moving from the wing to replace him and his place going to Andrew Higgins.

Centre Tom Cheeseman comes in for Alex Crockett and David Flatman replaces the injured prop David Barnes.


Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan told BBC Points West that Saturday's derby is even bigger than usual, with a home semi-final in the play-offs at stake:

"These games don't lack for emotion in the middle of the season or at the beginning, never mind at the end with top of the table to be played for.

"We're at home which will add a little bit of spice for us and we're looking forward to it.

"We've proven against Wasps that when it comes to big games everything changes and I don't think we'll see as much free-flowing rugby from either side because the contest will be much more physical, much more tight and we'll see how it goes from the back of that."

Bath head coach Steve Meehan told BBC Points West he expects his team to rise to the occasion in front of a hostile Kingsholm crowd:

"You could consider it one of the more enjoyable places to go, given the challenges that face you there - sportsmen are people that enjoy these challenges.

"You expect it to be quite physical and intense. There will be no slackening off for any moment of this game and I think it's possible for us to go out and deliver each and every week at the moment.

"They're in a nice frame of mind, physically they're very strong, and they are important factors in playing well."



Bath: Maddock, Higgins, Cheesman, Barkley, Banahan, James, Claassens, Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick (capt), Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Browne. Replacements: Dixon, Bell, Short, Goodman, Walshe, Berne, Crockett.

Gloucester: Balshaw, Vainikolo, Tindall, Allen, Simpson-Daniel, Lamb, Lawson, Wood, ***terell, Nieto, Bortoloami (capt), Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Delve. Replacements: Azam, Dickinson, James, Narraway, Cooper, Walker, Foster.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi...ish/7388002.stm

 

[danny]

If you are a Glaws fan this is the big one. Forget all your HC games against the aristocrats of european rugby this is the one we really want. I am so excited about tomorrows game and the fact that they hammered a cowardly Saracens team(no offence Prestwick) last week will IMO play into our hands. We have our best back-line out and have the prems best player in Akapusi Qera on the open side. Im so fired up I feel I could take the posh ******** on single handed. Anyway good luck to all my fellow Gloucester comrades and may god be with you.

 

[getofmeland]

I honestly don't see how Bath's game last week will play into Gloucesters hands, because to be honest this is THE West Country Derby (Part 2). Bath will be wanting to get the Home Playoff just as much as Gloucester and also they will want to beat Gloucester at Kingsholm, purely for bragging rights...

As for the better backline, you may have some good quality in that backline but Bath also have quality in theirs and the advantage that Bath have is the play between the Forwards and the Backs has been the best all season, they seem to be getting better and better as the season goes on...

This game is not gonna be a walk in the park for either side, as they both want to have the important home playoffs.... I will still go for a Bath Win or potentially even a draw... which would see both teams with Home Playoffs...

Oh yeah btw Danny don't call us Bath Fans Posh ********!!! We don't sit in stands that are covered we still watch Rugby how it should be watched, in the comfort of the elements!!!

 

[danny]

Look getofmeland Im not saying Barf havent got a decent back-line, I think they have been superb all season.I also think that in Stevens and Mears you have the best two tight forwards in England.I never said this was gonna be a walk in the park , Its a tight game and that is what makes it so exciting. It has been so long since a GLaws Vs Barf game has actually had something riding on it and that is the reason for my bouyant mood. Anyway enough of being nice to one of the "posh ********" (no-offence, I dont really mean it) we are gonna whoop some toff ass tomorrow. Are you going to the game ? If so I`ll be in Teagues bar from 12pm. Bring your deerstalker and snuff Barf Boy.

 

[Col]

The key for Gloucester wil be getting the ball to their back five in positions where those five can hurt Bath. Gloucester IMO have the best back five in the Premiership. Whereas Bath's tight five are probably the best tight five in the Premiership.

Bortoloami needs a big game to disrupt Bath's lineout and secure ball for Gloucester at their lineout.

Lamb & Lawson could struggle physically against James & Claassens.

Qera v Lipman is a battle of the two best back row forwards, on form, currently in the Premiership IMO.

The hard ground & fine weather will suit Gloucesters game more than Bath's IMO.

 

[getofmeland]

Tindall is off for Gloucester with a possible ankle injury...

This game has been good so far, Bath have been dominant and so have gloucester... Surprised that this is 0 - 0 after 16 mins

Gloucester penalty means 3 - 0 to Gloucester...

 

[Col]

Good game this far, great finish by Simpson Daniel.

Some of the tackling has been top draw.

 

[Sir Speedy]

8 - 6 at half time. Absolutely brilliant game. Superb attacking from Bath but tremendous defence from Gloucester. Bloody brill'!

 

[shtove]

Man, that was intense!

Bath should have taken it with their final move, but forward in the middle of the field had a brain fart.

Gloucester put in a really hard days work.

 

[getofmeland]

Bath lost a lot when Stevens went off injured and then lost a whole lot more going forward when Mears went off injured... Seriously hope these two are fit for next week tho...

I have to take my hat off to Gloucester they defended like champions today...

Although it was low scoring one of the best games of the season for the neutral...

 

[danny]

An incredible game from start to finish. Bath could have run away with it in the first half but for heroic defence from Gloucester, Qera was immense(best open side I have ever seen live) and easily won his battle with Lipman.Second half Gloucester started to get control but kept giving the ball away with loose kicking. Credit to both teams and the support for Gloucester made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Anyone as impressed with Balshaws performance as me. I have only just got back from the game so I havent watched it on TV but he was outstanding in defense and attack today. The guy gets enough stick on this forum when he`s playing badly so it would be nice to hear something positive now he is back on form.

 

[shtove]

Anyone as impressed with Balshaws performance as me. I have only just got back from the game so I havent watched it on TV but he was outstanding in defense and attack today. The guy gets enough stick on this forum when he`s playing badly so it would be nice to hear something positive now he is back on form. [/b]

Yeah, all the way. But his old form was as an attacker, and today he showed great character and intelligence in defence, which might bring him back to international selection. It's still not enough to beat Munster!

 

[Col]

Balshaw was excellent today. Qera & Simson Daniel were awesome.

 

[danny]

<div class='quotemain'> Anyone as impressed with Balshaws performance as me. I have only just got back from the game so I havent watched it on TV but he was outstanding in defense and attack today. The guy gets enough stick on this forum when he`s playing badly so it would be nice to hear something positive now he is back on form. [/b]

Yeah, all the way. But his old form was as an attacker, and today he showed great character and intelligence in defence, which might bring him back to international selection. It's still not enough to beat Munster!
[/b][/quote]
Fair enough move on.

 

[getofmeland]

Pens: Barkley 2

A first-half try from winger James Simpson-Daniel earned Gloucester a home draw in the Premiership semi-finals after a bruising win over rivals Bath.

The England international finished off a brilliant sweeping backs move on 33 minutes, while fly-half Ryan Lamb added three points from a penalty.

Centre Olly Barkley scored Bath's points with two penalties.

The victory ensured Gloucester top the Premiership table, while the defeat means Bath finish in third.

Gloucester also earned themselves a home semi-final draw and a chance to avenge last year's championship final defeat to Leicester, while Bath take on Wasps at Adams Park.

Despite the low scoreline, the west country derby was high on entertainment as Gloucester produced one of the most ferocious defensive displays ever seen at Kingsholm.

The home side made an incredible 71 tackles in just 30 first-half minutes, including try-saving efforts from Iain Balshaw and Simpson-Daniel.

Full-back Balshaw brought down strapping wing Matt Banahan 10 metres short of the line on 13 minutes before Simpson-Daniel's last-ditch tackle prevented prop Matt Stevens from capping off a brilliant 20m run.

A penalty from Lamb put Gloucester in front on 16 minutes, but Kingsholm-bound Barkley levelled the scores 12 minutes later with a penalty.

But the Gloucester faithful were brought to their feet four minutes later by a wonderful sweeping backs move, where Akapusi Qera's beautifully weighted offload allowed Simpson-Daniel to burst through for a superb try.

But Lamb failed to add the extras, a miss which was compounded minutes later when Barkley reduced the arrears to two points with a penalty from 40 metres.

The second half lost none of the intensity of the first 40 minutes as Bath kept the ball alive with a series of wonderful offloads, but their adventure was quelled by the water-tight Gloucester defence.

Bath's attacking endeavours were severely dented when they were forced to withdraw Stevens and hooker Lee Mears because of injury scares.

The Kingsholm faithful were in full voice when Qera went over on 68 minutes - only to see referee David Pearson disallow the try because of an earlier knock-on from Willie Walker in midfield.

But neither side could find their way through each other's defences before the final whistle.

Gloucester boss Dean Ryan:
"There is no special recipe for success. "We have got to work hard during the week. Wasps play a certain way and Bath have a pretty unique style.

"We will need to look at how Leicester have played the last few games, looking at their strengths and weaknesses."

Bath coach Steve Meehan:
"We are disappointed with the result, we didn't execute things as we should have done.

"We will have to play the breakdown area a lot better against Wasps. We will need to throw everything at them.

"There is an eight-day turnaround so the players have a chance to recharge and get this out of their system.

"Clearly, it would be a tremendous result to go to Wasps and win, it is a tremendous challenge."

Bath: Maddock; Higgins, Cheesman, Barkley, Banahan; James, Claassens; Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick (capt), Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Browne.
Replacements: Dixon, Bell, Short, Goodman, Walshe, Berne, Crockett.

Gloucester: Balshaw; Vainikolo, Tindall, Allen, Simpson-Daniel; Lamb, Lawson; Wood, ***terell, Nieto, Bortoloami (capt), Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Delve.
Replacements: Azam, Dickinson, James, Narraway, Cooper, Walker, Foster.

From BBC Sport