HARD YARDS - Gloucester Rugby Yearbook 2008 - 2009   THIRD EDITION 240-plus pages in e-book format ONLY £4.95
ALL the facts ... ALL the stats ... ALL the scores ... ALL the players • Comparative attack - defence charts • Tries scored • Conversions kick - miss • Penalty goals kick - miss • Drop goals kick - miss • Red cards • Yellow cards • defenders beaten • breaks made • own lineouts won - lost • own scrummages won - lost • rucks - possession retained - lost • Ball in hand pass - kick from hand – carry: territory gained OBTAIN YOUR COPY IN SECONDS : EASY : GREAT SAVINGS

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CONTENTS

PART 1 Overview of Season   Page 9 - 60	PART 2 Guinness Premiership (Including Gloucester United) Page 61 – 185
PART 3 Heineken Cup - Pool 6   Page 186 - 224	PART 4 EDF Energy Cup – Pool A Page 225 – 240 Page 225 – 240
 Stats of every current Gloucester player  Analysis of every Gloucester game played last season from a Gloucester supporter’s perspective..

 

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Sample page

 

 

Guinness Premiership Round 15

Kingsholm

Kickoff 3.00pm Saturday 28 February 2009

Attendance: 16,121

Referee: Wayne Barnes; Touch judges: Roy Maybank, Andrew Pearce; Assessor: Tony Spreadbury; Television match official: Laurie Bryant

Gloucester Rugby

15. O Morgan 14. I Balshaw 13. J S-Daniel 12. A Allen 11. C Sharples 10. C Spencer 9. R Lawson 1. N Wood 2. O Azam 3. G Somerville 4. A Eustace 5. A Brown 6. A Satala 7. A Hazell 8. G Delve (captain)

Replacements

16. A Titterrell 17. J Forster 18. D Wright 19. D Williams 20. R Lamb 21. O Barkley 22. M Foster

Bath Rugby

15. J Maddock 14. A Higgins 13. A Crockett (captain) 12. E Fuimaono-Sapolu 11. M Banahan 10. A James 9. M Claassens 1. D Barnes 2. R Hawkins 3. D Bell 4. J Harrison 5. P Short 6. A Beattie 7. J Scaysbrook 8. D Browne

Replacements

16. M Lilley 17. A Jarvis 18. S Hooper 19. J Fa’amatuainu 20. S Bemand 21. S Berne 22. M Stephenson

Well, this had absolutely everything you would expect from the biggest match in the English rugby calendar. Drama; passion; snarling spite; animosity; aggression; copious amounts of claret spilling everywhere and referee’s penalty cards of every hue fluttering around like confetti. There was even some classy rugby on offer, too, just for good measure. What more could Gloucester supporters – and Bath supporters, too, for that matter – want from this modern interpretation of tribal warfare? Both sides slugged themselves to a standstill in a vintage display of committed rugby and the attendance figure – in excess of sixteen thousand on a Six Nations’ international day – shows how seriously this match is taken in these here parts.

To some Gloucester supporters this match alone made the 2008 – 2009 season a resounding success for Gloucester Rugby; achieving the league double over Bath Rugby for the first time since the leagues were introduced. As always they came to God’s Little Acre determined to pour water on our bonfire. To have beaten them at The Wreck and then lost at Kingsholm would have detracted from our achievement and Bath knew that. But we squared up toe-to-toe and pulled off a convincing victory which put the dampers on their season while elevating ours to legendary levels, despite the disquiet between supporters, club and admin, which was to follow at Kingsholm at the end of the season. It would be unkind and unfair to single out individual Gloucester players for special mention. For every one you name fourteen are ignored which would not be fair for this was truly, truly, a team effort. Bath’s scrum can be devastating but by and large our forwards nullified its potency and their impressive backs were contained by the will and intensity of the Gloucester backs. The match started with a try from our visitors inside two minutes! Well, there is nothing quite like laying your marker down early in a derby game, is there?

From the kick off we engineered a mistake (no names no pack-drill) and from the ensuing scrummage Banahan in possession swooped on our line like some vile creature of the night but we pulled him down and were inexplicably accused of something dreadful by referee Wayne Barnes. Perhaps somebody tried to drive a stake through Banahan’s heart, or something. Whatever - there was an audible intake of breath from ten thousand Gloucester throats when he awarded a penalty against Gloucester. Oh, the arrogance, the swaggering, sneering, pout-chested arrogance of the Bath captain, Alex Crockett. The instruction to his kicker was to go for the corner! In the first two minutes of a derby match at Kingsholm! Oh! How we jeered the stupidity of his decision. The expected catch-and-drive took place and twice they took the ball around the fringes until collapsing on it on Gloucester soil. Their hooker, Rob Hawkins was at the bottom of the pile and he claimed the try. With two minutes on the clock it looked like being a long afternoon at Gloucester Rugby 0 – 5 Bath Rugby. Then Butch James added the conversion and it was Gloucester Rugby 0 – 7 Bath Rugby and the Bath fans were delighted. We gradually got on top of the game though, even to the extent of twice crossing their line. Once through Satala from a Bath scrummage and again through Gareth Delve but Wayne Barnes adjudged there to have infringements both times so neither attempt counted.

Meanwhile Bath did everything they could to disrupt our momentum. Which means they were happy to give away penalty after penalty after penalty until even Wayne Barnes was sick, sorry and tired of their efforts and with a mere thirteen minutes of the match gone he dispatched Alex Crockett to the sin bin for killing the ball while Carlos The Jackal knocked over the points to make it Gloucester Rugby 3 – 7 Bath Rugby but within seconds they pulled further ahead when Hazey was penalised for not releasing and Butch James did the honours to make the score Gloucester Rugby 3 – 10 Bath Rugby.

With a little over ten minutes of the half remaining a long pass from Lawson gave CTJ sufficient time for a beautifully-placed grub kick behind the Bath defence. Simpson-Daniel scampered up and fell on it behind the Bath line and it was Gloucester Rugby 8 – 10 Bath Rugby. The conversion attempt from the touchline failed but inside three minutes we scored again. Bath saw fit to turn over their possession near the halfway line and CTJ fixed his man before shipping on to Sinbad who was running a beautifully-angled line which sparked emergency calls and alarm klaxons to blast throughout the Bath defence. But seeing danger and dealing with it are entirely different things and Sinbad passed it to Charlie Sharples who left two potential tacklers clutching at fresh air before crossing their line. The Gloucester supporters appeared reasonably pleased about this and even though the conversion attempt went astray we were in front and building a score at Gloucester Rugby 13 – 10 Bath Rugby. One minute later we were behind their line and thumbing our noses at them again. It was through Simpson-Daniel once more.

Bath centre Fuimaono-Sapolu threw out a long and woefully slow, looping pass on his ten-metre line. Sinbad has an A-level in scoring interception tries and showed off his talent to remarkable effect when he took the pass in mid-air and fled the intervening forty metres to touch down as he pleased. CTJ added the conversion and it was Gloucester Rugby 20 – 10 Bath Rugby with seven minutes of the half left. However, Sinbad was nursing an injury and he was replaced by Ollie Barkley. Three minutes later Bath called in the heavy brigade. Inside the Gloucester twenty two prop Duncan Bell continued a handling move started by Higgins and Fuimaono-Sapolu and Banahan put some frightening pace on it before releasing to hooker Rob Hawkins to score his second try of the day from close-range. >With Butch James adding the conversion it was suddenly Gloucester Rugby 20 – 17 Bath Rugby and still the scoring for the first half was not finished. On the stroke of half time Barkley slammed over a conversion to put his erstwhile side six points behind.

 

Half time score Gloucester Rugby 23 – 17 Bath Rugby

With forty points on the board and only half the match gone you can expect just about anything in the second half and we licked our lips in anticipation. There was a strong buzz amongst the Gloucester supporters as they queued for their half time beer and burgers. We were expecting to win this one. It would not be easy and Bath would fight all the way, but we were expecting to win it. There was a vibrancy in the stadium, almost a party atmosphere which is unusual, even for Kingsholm.

The party atmosphere dissipated a little bit when Anthony Allen was sin binned two minutes into the half and James took the points to make it Gloucester Rugby 23 – 20 Bath Rugby. However, it was left to another Bath Rugby Old Boy to add to the Gloucester score. It resulted from a Bath turnover. CTJ took full advantage and sent a kick through before Bath could regroup. >Balshaw and Banahan chased it and - uh-oh - somehow Banahan inadvertently interfered with Balshaw who was about to leave him for dead as the ball bounced behind the Bath try line. Instead of scoring, Balsh bounced off Banahan and we were about to scream for a penalty try (little hope with Barnsey reffing) when Lawson appeared like William Wallace out of a Scotch mist and dived on the ball to claim the try and the bonus point. Barkley converted and we were well in the lead again at Gloucester Rugby 30 – 20 Bath Rugby.

Did Bath throw in the towel at this point? Be fair, does a bear sit in the woods, or something? Four minutes later they were over our line again. They won a free kick from a scrum close to our line. James tapped and went. He fed Higgins who scored a try while the Gloucester Boys were busy engaging Wayne Barnes in conversation about the injustice of the free kick award. The decision stood – have you ever seen one reversed? – and Butch James knocked over the conversion. At Gloucester Rugby 30 – 27 Bath Rugby the party atmosphere disappeared completely. “Tense” comes nowhere near describing it.

Twelve minutes into the half Barkley slotted another penalty to make it Gloucester Rugby 33 – 27 Bath Rugby. Things were looking up but it was clear that there was more scoring to come and a six points lead is never enough against Bath. Going into the last quarter it seemed that the atmosphere had even infected the normally unflappable Nick Wood and he was dispatched to the sin bin for a high tackle. With only fourteen players on the pitch we dug our trenches and prepared ourselves for the inevitable onslaught which was not long in coming, either. But respect to the Gloucester Boys, we held them out from attack after attack.

The defining and decisive point of the match came with a quarter of an hour to go. Balshaw found himself in possession deep in our territory and launched a counter attack. The ball came to CTJ who passed to Barkley who sent a long kick downfield. Sharples set off in pursuit and fly hacked on. The Bath defence was in disarray and a score was beginning to look likely until Crockett came whistling in from somewhere and cruelly slammed into Sharples with the latest tackle on a Gloucester player since Wasps’ Trevor Leota attempted to murder Philippe Saint-Andre in his last match in Gloucester colours.

Even referee Wayne Barnes saw it. The Bath captain got the red card and that was that. Or was it? For the rest of the match Crockett was on and off the pitch with water bottles carrying messages and offering advice and support to his team mates. Can that be right? When a player is sent off he should take no further part in the game. Even to the extent of not being allowed to remain on the touchline, leave alone to act as a so-called “water carrier”. But Hard Yards digresses. Barkley kicked the penalty and we went nine points clear at Gloucester Rugby 36 – 27 Bath Rugby with fifteen minutes to go. To all intents and purposes that was the end of the match. A raft of substitutions took place on both sides; either to shore up Gloucester’s defence of our lead or to add impetus to Bath’s attack, depending on what colour jersey they were wearing. Gloucester defence held out and there were no further scores but the double over Bath was achieved for the first time. History was made. What a moment to savour.

Scorers

Round 15

Saturday 28 February 2009

3.00pm kickoff Kingsholm 16,121

Gloucester Rugby 36 – 27 Bath Rugby

3.00pm kickoff Franklin's Gardens 12,908

 

 

Northampton Saints 13 – 19 Newcastle Falcons

3.00pm kickoff Sixways 9,543

Worcester Warriors13 – 12 London Wasps

 

Sunday 1 March 2009

1.00pm kickoff Madejski Stadium 12,104

London Irish 28 – 31 Leicester Tigers

3.00pm kickoff Memorial Stadium 5,005

Bristol Rugby 14 – 17 Harlequins

3.00pm kickoff Vicarage Road 8,311

Saracens 24 – 23 Sale Sharks

Newcastle put a stop to Northampton’s unbeaten home run when Golding (formerly of Northampton), Williams and May put their side 19 – 0 in the lead in the first ten minutes. The home side responded as best they could with a couple of penalties and a late converted try through Diggin claimed them a losing bonus point.

Willie Walker smacked over a drop goal in the dying minutes to put one over Wasps at Sixways. Worcester’s Alex Grove scored a try on his debut to give his side a 7 – 6 lead over Cipriani’s two penalties but the Wasps kicker landed a third to put his side back in the lead. Walker and Cipriani then landed one more penalty each before Walker put his side in the driving seat once more by a single point.

Bristol just could not get a result to go their way. They looked to have won this contest until Monye steamed in for a late Harlequins try. Bristol’s Brew opened the scoring with a try and then Botha responded for the London side; then a Strettle try put his side ahead for the first time in the match. A converted penalty try looked to have sewn the match up for the home team before Monye broke their hearts with a matter of four minutes to go when he sealed his side’s victory at 14 – 17 which shunts them up one more league position to fourth place.

Leicester showed they were getting into their stride, moving into fifth place with an away win against the Irish in a high-scoring match at the Madejski Stadium. The visitors were 8 – 21 up at half time and Mike Catt came on for the home side in the second half and got himself creamed by Tuilagi in his first attempt at a tackle. Irrespective of that he pulled the strings for an Irish revival and created tries for Tagicakibau, Mapusua and Armitage’s second. Thereby landing the two losing points for his side.

Leicester’s win puts them above Bath who slipped to sixth place following the hammering we dished out to them at Kingsholm.

Saracens turned Sale over with a single point victory, having led by 21 – 10 at one point with tries from Lloyd and Cato to a try from Schofield. Then Sale’s Lee Thomas scored a try on fifty six minutes and Schofield scored his second with a couple of minutes to go. At 24 – 23 all Sale had to do was convert Schofield’s try but Thomas was not up to the task and Saracens took the honours. The Premiership attendance figure topped the million mark for the season this weekend, with Kingsholm supplying 16,000-odd of that impressive total.

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