By Behindthebench
January 8 2015

Friday 9 January 2015.  Aviva Premiership Rugby.  Kingsholm.   Poking around my room looking for inspiration for the latest preview, I came across a "Save Our Shed" poster, dating back to a January 2007 Heineken Cup match with Leinster and the now abandoned plans to convert the Shed into all seater, thankfully now abandoned (although perhaps not for opposition fans).

At that time, it seemed only a matter of time until Gloucester claimed their first Premiership title, having being beaten 39-3 by Wasps in 2003, despite finishing fifteen points clear, and hitting the summit again in 2007 and 2008, but missing out on the title. Saracens won't want to be reminded of the semi-final result at Kingsholm in 2007, but the Cherry and Whites contrived to lose to Leicester in the final and were undone by the Tigers again the following year, this time in the semi-final. 

Inexplicably, since that double close call, Gloucester have claimed a play-off place once in the last six seasons, finishing as low as ninth in 2012 and 2014, and having a mixed campaign this time around as well. They have gone through a succession of coaches since Dean Ryan left in 2009 when they lost the LV= Cup final to Cardiff Blues. Bryan Redpath was his replacement and delivered a play-off place, as well as a comfortable LV= Cup final triumph against Newcastle in 2011, but that modest finish in the following campaign brought his departure too. Highly rated former Llanelli Scarlets coach Nigel Davies was the next occupant of the hot seat, and they missed out on the top four by one place in his first campaign, but, last season, which saw Gloucester heralded as possible title winners given their exciting backline, brought massive underachievement across all competitions, as they finished ninth again, and Davies left at the end of the season. Very few Saracens' fans will forget the moment in the 29-8 win at Kingsholm last January when down to 13 men, as Billy Vunipola and Steve Borthwick were both in the sin bih, the home side went for the five metre scrum but were repelled by the depleted visitors, who won a penalty into the bargain, which seemed to sum up Gloucester's difficulties up front.

The new Director of Rugby, David Humphreys, was a surprise appointment for all concerned, given that he had made massive strides in establishing Ulster as, arguably, the second province, with some powerful showings in Europe in particular, with Laurie Fisher, who enjoyed considerable success as Head Coach at home city club (Canberra) Brumbies, occupying the same position at Kingsholm. A 53-6 hammering at Northampton Saints on the opening night of the season was put down to the number of new players at the club, a fair point, as the calibre of signings such as half back duo Greig Laidlaw and James Hook is clear, and emerged as the campaign progressed, added to a backline featuring players of the quality of Jonny May, Billy Twelvetrees and Charlie Sharples, although there was a blow early in the season when club stalwart James Simpson-Daniel announced his retirement due to injury. Former All Black tighthead John Afoa was a particularly eye catching arrival from Ulster and has put in some massive shifts so far, with Welsh hooker Richard Hibbard and Wasps second row being notable captures as well, as the Cherry and Whites overhauled their pack comprehensively. 

After what could be classed as a false start at Franklins Gardens, the Kingsholm opener matched Gloucester against last season's most improved side, Sale Sharks. It didn't look good when they trailed 17-6 at the break, undone by three Danny Cipriani-inspired tries, but instilled a stirring turnaround after the break, as Jonny May and Rob Cook scored tries, and a fine comeback was capped by a warmly-received penalty try. But just like the Shed has stayed standing, so has the red plague of inconsistency, as Exeter Chiefs were the visitors in back to back home games. This time it waa Gloucester who made the bright start, as May got the game's first try, and after just eleven minutes, Dan Murphy put the finishing touches to a rolling maul, but discipline at the scrum became an issue as Chiefs came back into the game, and the hosts found themselves ten points down at the break as the visitors scored a try. They narrowed the deficit for a final score of 25-22, but couldn't force the win. Fortunately, a couple of easier games were on the horizon, London Welsh away and Leicester at home (!). The trip to Oxford brought a 46-10 win, although the visitors only led 12-10 at the break through a Sharples try, before cutting loose in the second half as the scrum became dominant and five more tries were scored. Though struggling at the time, a 30-9 lead at home to the Tigers is impressive at any time, the visitors undone by a superb fusion of powerful ball carrying and smart handling, the only disappointment being that Glos only claimed three more points in the second for a final score of 33-16.

The trip to Allianz Park went very differently to the one just a year before when Nick Wood was sent off for stamping inside two minutes as Gloucester lost 44-12. This time, they claimed a losing bonus point, in a 28-21 defeat, but they could have claimed more, especially when Laidlaw provided a 6-0 advantage in the first half, and though Charlie Hodgson narrowed the deficit, Rob Cook claimed a try for the visitors before Saracens made it 10-13 as Chris Wyles charged down and Hodgson converted. An unconverted Alistair Hargreaves try nudged the hosts two points ahead before the break. As both sides traded penalties, Chris Ashton finally put some distance between the sides with a converted try to make the score 25-16, but a last gasp Tom Savage try earnt the visitors a deserved bonus point. Gloucester have tended to do reasonably well in the second tier European competition, and certainly this was the case in the first two rounds of the new European Challenge Cup as seven tries were scored in a 55-0 win over Brive at Kingsholm, including a Sharples hat trick, and a 25-15 win was secured at Oyannax the following week.

Switching to the LV= Cup, Gloucester lost 28-27 to a 79th minute try at holders Exeter Chiefs, whilst young fly half Aled Thomas got all of the points in a tryless 18-9 win at London Welsh. Back in the Premiership at Kingsholm, the hosts paid the price for failing to sustain a strong start against Harlequins, establishing a 12-0 lead through a quartet of Twelvetrees penalties, as the home side were outscored three tries to nil by the visitors in a 22-15 defeat which was, in some ways, a misleading reflection of the chances the home side had created, with a losing bonus point scant real consolation. Another great start petered out at Newcastle Falcons, as Afoa touched down inside the opening minute, but the visitors fell to a 20-10 lead. November ended in brighter fashion, though, as a solid display earnt a 21-9 win at London Irish, as the second half saw a smart turnover culminate in Henry Purdy's opening try and a fine kick through from Hook set up Steve McColl for the match-clinching second try. Back in the Challenge Cup, back to back victories were collected against Zebre, but this preceded two disappointing home Premiership losses. The 39-16 derby defeat to Bath was characterised by constant stoppages at the scrum, and at least the following home match, with Wasps, was more competitive, though ending in a 30-23 defeat, stretched by the visitors' kicking game but narrowly failing to force the victory in a stronger second half. However, they face Saracens on the back of a morale-boosting victory at Exeter, the 26-25 win seeing the lead change hands more often than, well, the ball in a flowing Gloucester backline move, and the visitors played out the win in thrilling fashion.

That win at Sandy Park saw a backline of Sharples at full back, with Tongan international Tevita Halaifonua Tonga  and Jonny May on the wings, and former Bedford Blue Mark Atkinson filling a centre berth with Billy Twelvetrees, whilst Hook and Laidlaw combined at half back. In the forwards, Wood and Afoa formed the front row, with hooker Darren Dawiduik, whilst the second row featured Savage and Palmer, and Tongan Sione Kalamafoni and Matt Kvesic were in the back row, with Ben Morgan at number 8. Turning to Saracens, they will need to win the battle up front to prevent the dangerous backline from firing, although the performances of Cipriani and Andy Goode against them in matches this season seem to suggest they can struggle against sides with a good kicking game, so it would be interesting to see if Charlie Hodgson is back.