Gloucester so close to stunning triumph

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER

La Rochelle …………………. 29pts

Tries: Bourgarit 21, Thomas 25, 77; Kerr Barlow 45

Conversions: Hastoy 23, 46, 79

Penalties: Hastoy 5

Gloucester ………………….. 26pts

Tries: Harris 12, Clarke 33, Rees-Zammit 49

Conversions: Twelvetrees 13

Penalties: Twelvetrees 15, 55, 70

Brave Gloucester, manifestly the better side on an evening of magnificent European rugby, threatened to pull off their greatest ever European triumph but came up agonisingly short at champions La Rochelle.

The French team, trailing by four and outplayed for significant periods, laid siege at the end as Gloucester defended manically.

There were heroes everywhere with Ben Morgan seeming to make a tackle every four or five seconds; there was hope with a possible La Rochelle knock on and finally there was despair as the champions went wide and Teddy Thomas stepped in for the score. The TMO was unmoved, and the try stood.

With nothing to lose as massive underdogs, Gloucester gave it a lash from the start and rediscovered some of their best form against one of the best club teams on the planet. They went for broke and in so doing scored two cracking tries before the break and had another, the best of the lot, disallowed.

Following an early La Rochelle penalty, Chris Harris opened up with a beautifully executed try from prime lineout possession to score under the posts before Gloucester had to dig deep and resist the mighty home pack as they went to work.

Initially they did that superbly and even nudged the lead up with a Billy Twelvetrees penalty but eventually the tsunami of La Rochelle pressuree proved irresistible, and Pierre Bourgarit powered over from close range.

Moments later a defensive mix up between Louis Rees-Zammit and Twelvetrees let Thomas in for a try but Gloucester replied with an extraordinary try by lock Freddiee Clarke who touched down in the corner with the panache of a world class wing. Clarke was already enjoying a storming game in the lineout.

It could have been even better. Virtually from the restart Gloucester turned over La Rochelle and went the length of the field for Santiago Carreras to score only for a TMO intervention for an insignificant push on Gregory Alldritt who already seemed to be falling to ground. Very harsh.

La Rochelle regained the initiative with a Tawera Kerr-Barlow try but, just when you thought Gloucester might run out of steam, they claimed a beautifully taken try from Rees-Zammit who latched on to a fine cross field kick from Twelvetrees – all this while Gloucester were shorthanded after a yellow card for Lewis Ludlow.

A penalty from Twelvetrees took Gloucester ahead and then La Rochelle went down to 14 when prop Georges-Henri Colombe was yellow carded for a horrible crocodile roll on Ruan Ackermann. It should have been red – they are up there with head shots in their ability to maim – and hopefully the citing officer will step in.

And so we came to the final act. Gloucester tightened the screw with another penalty – should they have gone to the corner against 14? – but you always knew they would have to mount one final defensive effort. Gloucester were determined and disciplined and yes that possible knock on needed looking at but that is also part and parcel of playing away in Europe. You don't always get your just rewards.