By BrianC
April 14 2004

This weekend we play Gloucester for the third time this season having already played them at home in the Zurich Premiership and away in the Powergen Cup.

Gloucester vs London Irish, Kingsholm, Sunday 18th April, 16:00, Sky Sports 3.

Gloucester are currently only one place ahead of us in the Zurich Premiership. There is however an eleven point gap between our two teams. With only three games left this season we do not have a chance of catching them so we are now playing to maintain our current fifth place in the Premiership and a favorable wild card draw.

Amazingly, given the points gap between our two teams, we have won both our encounters against Gloucester thus far this year. Back in September we won our first home game of the season 16 - 10  then in November we surprisingly beat them at Castle Grim 29 - 35 to qualify for the quarter final of the Powergen Cup. Many regard this later performance as our best this season in any tournament.

Kingsholm is quite a fortress for Gloucester, they have only lost once there in the league this season, 14 - 20 to Bath also in November. Last season, on their way to winning the Premiership they were undefeated at home. Let's make no mistake, we will be going into this match very much as underdogs. Gloucester did however take a thorough pasting 34 - 3 from Wasps in the Heineken Cup last Sunday, with a bit of luck come this weekend they may not have fully pulled themselves back together.

As I have never been to Gloucester I can only report that which I have been told, namely that it is a fantastic place to watch rugby. The sell-out crowd will be  passionate in their support of Gloucester, they always are. As the match is being televised by Sky TV the Dutch branch will again be gathering at Cafe Corso in Amsterdam to cheer on the boys.