Gloucester
Glaws show the spirit they need in Oz friendly defeat
Jake B - ready
By Cherry Picker
November 4 2009
Losing to an international side is no disgrace, fringe players or not, and losing in the way that inexperienced Gloucester did to a team as strong as Australia will hopefully have a beneficial affect on the rest of the season. In front of a Kingsholm full house, the cherry and whites did themselves, the club and English club rugby proud despite going down 36-5.
This was a game full of Aussie hopefuls determined to do enough to give the tourists’ coaching staff food for thought as they approach their international matches, and Gloucester gave it a real go.
If they can approach their remaining club games like this, starting next weekend at home to Cardiff Blues in the EDF (or whatever it’s called now), they should be able to claw themselves out of the hole they have dug themselves with some uncharacteristic display so far this season.
Freddie Burns scored a Glaws try early on while the match was wide open, but the Aussies powered away after that and finished up clear and comfortable winners.
Jake Boer captained Glaws and did well enough to suggest he will stay in the team now.
He told the Citizen: "I'm feeling good and when I'm needed I'll play. This is my last opportunity and I want to make the most of it.
"The errors are becoming a little bit of the story of our lives at the moment."With respect to Australia, they took their opportunities but it felt to me like we played all the rugby.
"It's very frustrating, but we're making too many basic errors and we know that. At this level you don't get away with it. Maybe we're trying to play a bit too much and we're a bit over enthusiastic.
"It's not for the lack of trying it's just very disappointing when you play the rugby and you don't come away with the result.
"I'm frustrated for the boys, not critical of them but at the same time we have to turn things round. Rugby is a cruel game. All we can do is keep working as hard as possible. We have respect for every side we play and hopefully the results will come."
With an attitude like that on show against the tourists and with Boer looking as if he is determined to lead a revival, he could be right.
Let’s hope so.
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04/11/2009 11:22
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The forwards definately troubled the Aussies in the set piece although they got mullered at the tackle area, some of which looked dubious but heigh hoe.
The real difference was the 3/4s, quicker in thought and execution and the gulf in some of the play was fairly emphatic.
All in all well done Glaws as a whole, it was really pleasing to see the ground sold out and it sounds like the Aussies enjoyed the change of scene so everyone's a winner!
