Not the last....

By PG Tips
April 13 2014

As I wrote in my review last week, a band of nutters, including your intrepid correspondent, cycled to Kingsholm on 12 April to see Bath’s latest attempt to win a Premiership match in Gloucester’s lair.

The ride was fun and scenic, taking in views of the Severn estuary and river, Berkely Castle and Slimbridge. 50 plus riders arrived saddle sore at Castle Grim to be welcomed with coffee and then a massage at the ride team hotel. And to be honest that was the best bit of the day until the 38th minute of the first half. The Bath Foundation cycle party was graced by several notable former Bath players –all “pantomime villains” in the eyes of Gloucester: John Hall, Simon Jones, Danny Grewcock & Lee Mears. For most of the first half there was more entertainment from hearing the barracking these 4 received from Cherry & White fans than from the match. Indeed the key pantomime villain at that stage was the derby game itself – a stop start & error strewn match from both sides where flashes of quality were rare – even though the fortunes of the game swung back & forth to keep the outcome in question.

Matt Garvey’s 38th minute sin binning though, changed the whole tone of the match, turning a frustrating contest into one which will probably be remembered for decades. For that reason I thought you might like an eye witness account, written fresh from the return ride & without benefit of TV replay to explain the extraordinary events which followed.

Garvey was yellow carded for a high tackle on Gloucester No8 Evans – a challenge that was high, but more luckless than malicious as Evans ducked, while Garvey, taking him at shoulder height, slipped off the shoulder and caught Evans neck with his arm, pulling him down as both fell into touch. Cue boos from the Shed for the Bath 6, who was the second back rower to cool his heels for 10 after Carl Fearns had taken the enforced rest for a technical offence at a ruck. Evans, surprisingly, did not return – he was replaced by Morgan after treatment.

Gloucester were unable to take advantage though & the half ended 9-6 through a trade of penalties between Twelvetrees and Ford. This despite Horacio Agulla touching down from an inside pass – only for the try to be disallowed for crossing by Matt Banahan. The next drama came 13 minutes into the second half when replacement prop Puafisi was penalised for a straight arm tackle on Abendanon which lifted the full back off his feet. A red card and a new panto rogue, opened the way for Bath to kick the penalty to touch, force a driving maul from a lineout and send Stuart Hopper over among a pile of bodies to take a narrow 9-11 lead, which George Ford could not add to with the goal points.

Next on the naughty step was Dave Attwood, penalised for not rolling away after a tackle, although it seemed odd at the time. Having made the tackle, he regained his feet and tried to wrestle the ball free, only to be knocked off his feet in the ruck clear-out and then penalised for lying on his back behind the ruck. Gloucester made the most of Attwood’s absence when Twelvetrees slotted a 4th penalty and the seesaw match did nothing for Bath supporter’s nerves as Bath – now pressing repeatedly were thwarted by tough home defence after good breaks by Abendanon, then Eastmond & Rokodoguni. From one such foray they coughed up the ball, Gloucester worked it forward into Bath’s half and slick passing put Trinder over for a try wide on the right. With less than 10 minutes to go all now looked bleak for Bath, but Twelvetrees was also unable to convert.

17-11 gave Bath a sniff of hope. A converted try would do it, but Ford’s kicking radar could only be relied on for the simpler kicks. Bath’s attack, given tempo by Stringer, started to fizz and that is where the match went from tense to bizarre in a matter of minutes. First Mike Tindall was yellow carded for taking Stringer out behind a ruck 5 metres from the Gloucester line. Shortly afterwards Huia Edmonds was also carded- no doubt now who was Panto villain number one for the Shed – referee Tim Wigglesworth. The scrums by now were uncontested as Nigel Davies had refused to let Nick Wood take the place of the binned Puafisi, claiming that a loose head could not be expected to operate on the tight head side: all of this was unknown to the crowd at the time –all that was visible was a lengthy discussion between Wigglesworth and the Gloucester dugout. Undaunted, Bath kicked to touch and won a further lineout penalty for taking the man in the air.

On 79 minutes, the next lineout was driven close to the opposition line and Mr Wigglesworth awarded a penalty try. Before Ford could shape to take the conversion though, the referee had to break up a mass brawl which had begun when Tavis Knoyle punched Leroy Houston. Knoyle became the second Gloucester red card for his act (& the 4th card in all) and cue more boos for the man in the middle. Ford had no difficulty with the extra points to give Bath a one point lead against eleven men and the final minute of the match denied Gloucester any come back chance as Bath were given a penalty from the restart, instead of a Gloucester kick-off due to Knoyle’s infringement. Kick to touch, lineout and maul and a Stringer chip into Shed row one: whistle and a fortunate victory for Bath.

To say that the final 10 minutes of the match were bizarre is an understatement, but this encounter is likely to be remembered as a classic of sorts- taking its place alongside classic Gloucester: Bath encounters of the 80s & 90s – but for the wrong reasons. The Shed made their feelings felt at the end: Mr Wigglesworth, definitely premier villain, facing considerable abuse as he left the pitch, while the remaining Gloucester squad members were cheered off as if they had just won the Heineken Cup. Bath’s team though were the ones enjoying the lap of honour-applauding their stunned supporters who were attempting to decide if they had just witnessed sport, comedy, tragedy or farce.

I must now look at the recording to make up my mind. ​​

Match report: Who was the pantomime villain?

Discussion started by PG Tips (IP Logged), 13/04/2014 16:33

PG Tips
13/04/2014 16:33

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014:04:20:21:40:35 by TCM2007.

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Peasedown Exile
14/04/2014 09:27

Great report PG, well done.

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Susanne
14/04/2014 11:07

Enjoyed this PGT - good to get those impressions, I think sometimes we forget how the ability to watch something again and again almost immediately afterwards and slow it down can really distort the perception.

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The Oilman
14/04/2014 17:02

Quote:

Peasedown Exile
Great report PG, well done.

+1 entertaining.

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Widcombe boy
15/04/2014 17:44

Very good recollections PGTips. Takes me back to a joyous day well at least like you say the last 2 minutes!!

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