European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester

by **RDW** Mon 20 Apr 2015, 8:43 am

First topic message reminder :

European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 17

European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 2

Edinburgh V Gloucester

Friday 1st May 2015, KO 19:45
The Twickenham Stoop, Twickenham
Live on BT Sport

Referee Jerome Garces (France)
Touch Judge 1 Pascal Gauzere (France)
Touch Judge 2 Mathieu Raynal (France)
Fourth Official Eric Gauzins (France)
TMO Eric Gauzins (France)

Citing Commissioner Yves Thieffine (France)

Route to the final

Edinburgh

UBB 10 - Edinburgh 24
Edinburgh 25 - Lyon 17
Edinburgh 28 - London Welsh 13
London Welsh 6 - Edinburgh 24
Lyon 21 - Edinburgh 19
Edinburgh 38 - UBB 20

London Irish 18 - Edinburgh 23
Edinburgh 45 - Dragons 16

Gloucester

Gloucester 55 - Brive 0
Oyonnax 15 - Gloucester 25
Gloucester 35 - Zebre 10
Zebre 16 - Gloucester 32
Gloucester 33 - Oyonnax 3
Brive 20 - Gloucester 31

Gloucester 14 - Connacht 7
Gloucester 30 - Exeter Chiefs 19

Teams

Edinburgh
European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 Sam+Hidalgo+Clyne+Edinburgh+Rugby+v+London+cwEx-KiqwRkl

European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 Sam+Hidalgo+Clyne+Edinburgh+Rugby+v+London+cwEx-KiqwRkl

Tonks; Fife, Beard, Strauss, Visser; Burleigh, Hidalgo-Clyne; Dickinson, Ford, Nel, Bresler, Toolis, Coman, Grant, Du Preez.

Replacements: McInally, Sutherland, Andress, McKenzie, Watson, Fowles, Heathcote, Brown.

Gloucester
European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 Greig+Laidlaw+qNTjtak2uwVm

European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 Greig+Laidlaw+qNTjtak2uwVm

Sharples; May, Meakes, Twelvetrees (capt), Purdy; Hook, Laidlaw; Wood, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Palmer, Moriarty, Kvesic, Evans.

Replacements: Dawidiuk, Thomas, Puafisi, Galarza, Rowan, Robson, Burns, McColl.

Official Preview

PREVIEW: Will Sam be the man for Edinburgh?
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne has lit up Scottish rugby this season and spearheaded the Edinburgh Rugby march to their first Challenge Cup final.

Three Heineken Man of the Match awards, and a club European record 28 point haul against Bordeaux-Begles at Murrayfield, have showcased his talent this season and he is set to be a key man in their Edinburgh's push for an historic first professional rugby title at Twickenham Stoop.

As his side's main player maker and goalkicker he is bound to be a target for Gloucester Rugby's players on Friday night and the west country club's director of rugby, David Humphreys, is obviously a fan.

"Sam has become one of the superstars of the game. When you look at how he has performed for Edinburgh in Europe this season he has been outstanding," said Humphreys.

But while the Gloucester back row will be on red alert in the final so, too, will be the Edinburgh side as they try to contain their former team mate Greig Laidlaw. The Scotland skipper has been hugely influential for the Kingsholm team since switching allegiance last summer.

With half-back partner James Hook, and front row recruits John Afoa and Richard Hibbard, he has been able to steer Gloucester into the final without losing. In the final they will attempt to do what Peter Buxton's side of 2006 did and go the full nine games unbeaten.

Gloucester's best form has been saved for Europe this season and the tournament is their only lifeline into next seasons Champions Cup. Win it, and they will go into the play-off for the 20th place, something their meagre ninth place in the Premiership won't offer them.

That will give them extra incentive on the night, although Edinburgh will come into the game with great momentum having demolished Zebre and the Dragons in their last two games. Their added incentive is to become the first Scottish team to win a major trophy - and to beat Glasgow Warriors to the punch!

The big battle is going to be in the front five, where both teams have established sound reputations. Gloucester have the best scrum stats in the Premiership for getting the ball back into play, while the introduction of Aussie-born lock Ben Toolis has added power and agility to the Edinburgh pack. Whoever gets on top at scrum time will have a clear advantage.

Richard Hibbard v Ross Ford at hooker will be a key battle, as will the one between Alasdair Dickinson and John Afoa at prop. The Edinburgh back row will have to deal with Matt Kvesic, the tournament's turn-over king, at the breakdown and if they can stop him from being as effective and influential as usual then it will do them a lot of good.

"We know we are going to play against a highly motivated Edinburgh side and will need to play at our very best to win. We need our international players to stand up and give us international class performances," added Humphreys.

The last time Gloucester reached the Challenge Cup final they needed extra-time to overcome London Irish. That was nine years ago and their last trophy came in 2011 when they won the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Edinburgh have yet to win a trophy in the professional era, other than the 1872 Cup played for annually between themselves and arch-rivals Glasgow Warriors, and one of the big questions for them to answer at the Twickenham Stoop will be how will they cope with the pressure of the major occasion.

When they met in the European Cup pool stages last season they ended up with an away win each. Who will be the winner on the road this time with a major trophy at stake? It's too tight to call!

Match Facts
•Edinburgh are the first Scottish club to reach a European final while Gloucester - the 2006 champions - will be in appearing in their second decider.
•The competition has been won by an English club on 10 occasions, more than any other nation. French clubs have won the title six times, with Ireland and Wales on one each.
•Gloucester and Edinburgh have never met in the Challenge Cup before, but have played each other four times in Europe's top flight with the Cherry and Whites winning three.
•Gloucester have a 100% record this season and aim to repeat their 2005/06 feat of winning every game on their way to lifting the trophy.
•Edinburgh have the best lineout success (90%) in the competition with Ben Toolis the top lineout winner (44 including steals).
•The two finalists boast the two top scorers in the competition with Greig Laidlaw's 67 points bettered only by Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (91).
•Despite playing the maximum amount of games in this season's Challenge Cup, Gloucester (8) and Edinburgh (11) have conceded fewer tries than any other sides in the competition.
•Matt Kvesic has made the most tackles in the competition completing 97 of his 110 attempts. He has also won the most turnovers (15).
•Of the 370 players who have won the Challenge Cup, 131 are English and eight Scottish. The Scottish winners are: Joe Ansbro (Northampton Saints 2009), Craig Chalmers (Harlequins 2001), Scott Gray (Northampton Saints 2009), Kenny Logan (Wasps 2003), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints 2009), Bryan Redpath (Sale Sharks 2002, 2005), Tom Smith (Northampton Saints 2009), Barry Stewart (Sale Sharks 2005).

by SecretFly Mon 04 May 2015, 9:23 am

What should be absolutely mandatory is that all refs be forced to have Slow Mo inserts attached to their optic nerves.... It's f**king negligence that the ref missed Meake's eye. Wink

by HongKongCherry Mon 04 May 2015, 9:37 am

LondonTiger wrote:You are not arguing against r=the red card HKC, merely the severity of the incident. As I have stated that I reckon any ban will be 2 to 3 weeks we are probably on the same page, which is very different from the poster demanding a band measuring multiple months.

I was only being tongue in cheek but completely agree. What has been quite interesting is to see how many players and pundits who feel this wasn't a red. It was a soft foul but by the rules was red.

by HongKongCherry Mon 04 May 2015, 9:38 am

On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

by SecretFly Mon 04 May 2015, 9:41 am

HongKongCherry wrote:On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

It's all for Meritocratic purposes as outlined in Section P, subsection C1, paragraph 2.48

by **RDW** Mon 04 May 2015, 9:44 am

HongKongCherry wrote:On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

Another example of how much of a shambles this new qualifying process is - doing the coin toss before even knowing who the 2nd team is!

by **LondonTiger** Mon 04 May 2015, 9:49 am

36 called heads:

Gauzere's coin

by SecretFly Mon 04 May 2015, 9:57 am

Yeah, I suspected something of that nature but didn't want to drag myself into even more controversy.

by HongKongCherry Mon 04 May 2015, 10:12 am

Well its only fair, after all the Pro 12 side will have only played 22 games to get to this stage... Whistle

by HammerofThunor Mon 04 May 2015, 10:15 am

RDW_Scotland wrote:
HongKongCherry wrote:On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

Another example of how much of a shambles this new qualifying process is - doing the coin toss before even knowing who the 2nd team is!

What difference does it make?

by **RDW** Mon 04 May 2015, 10:20 am

HammerofThunor wrote:
RDW_Scotland wrote:
HongKongCherry wrote:On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

Another example of how much of a shambles this new qualifying process is - doing the coin toss before even knowing who the 2nd team is!

What difference does it make?

It is just another thing that makes this qualifying process even more convoluted.

The first qualifying round home advantage will be decided by coin toss, yet both teams weren't present at the coin toss!

It's hardly satisfactory is it?

by SecretFly Mon 04 May 2015, 10:25 am

It's two sides of the same story. They either had a double headed coin like Tiger alludes to - OR - they kept flicking the coin until the head popped up.

Times!!!! Get writing! More controversy

by HongKongCherry Mon 04 May 2015, 10:48 am

Or they decided Meakes was harshly red carded and decided to reward Glaws with a home tie Run

by HammerofThunor Mon 04 May 2015, 11:00 am

RDW_Scotland wrote:
HammerofThunor wrote:
RDW_Scotland wrote:
HongKongCherry wrote:On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

Another example of how much of a shambles this new qualifying process is - doing the coin toss before even knowing who the 2nd team is!

What difference does it make?

It is just another thing that makes this qualifying process even more convoluted.

The first qualifying round home advantage will be decided by coin toss, yet both teams weren't present at the coin toss!

It's hardly satisfactory is it?

But why do the teams have to be there? Or are you suggesting it would affect the coin toss?

by **RDW** Mon 04 May 2015, 11:06 am

HammerofThunor wrote:
RDW_Scotland wrote:
HammerofThunor wrote:
RDW_Scotland wrote:
HongKongCherry wrote:On a different note I've heard that Glaws will have home advantage for the play off game as this was decided at the weekend.

Another example of how much of a shambles this new qualifying process is - doing the coin toss before even knowing who the 2nd team is!

What difference does it make?

It is just another thing that makes this qualifying process even more convoluted.

The first qualifying round home advantage will be decided by coin toss, yet both teams weren't present at the coin toss!

It's hardly satisfactory is it?

But why do the teams have to be there? Or are you suggesting it would affect the coin toss?

Any qualification process that relies on a coin toss really isn't ideal as far as I am concerned, and carrying out a coin toss when only one team is known just makes it even more strange. Obviously it really makes no difference (neither team has to be present really) but for one of the premier club competitions in the sporting world it really is a poor qualifying set up. I'm assuming the Challenge Cup Winner calls heads or tails then!

I'm assuming they've done it so there is plenty time to plan, but if Gloucester lost the toss then we wouldn't have known who the Pro 12 team was until the week before the playoff anyway!

Also, it hasn't been announced anywhere as far as I can see - why do it in private and not announce it?

by SecretFly Mon 04 May 2015, 11:22 am

HammerofThunor wrote:

But why do the teams have to be there? Or are you suggesting it would affect the coin toss?

Well if a guy like Wray was doing the tossing............................ it might?

Where was this coin tossed anyway? Is there video proof it was tossed? Who was represented? Was it done in a Swiss bank Vault? Was the floor magnetic?

by justified sinner Mon 04 May 2015, 11:40 am

As far as I can see this is just a bit of speculation on ShedWeb. Can't find anything anywhere else and it would be a bit weird to do it before both teams are known.

by **George Carlin** Mon 04 May 2015, 12:12 pm

WalesOnline is reporting that Edinburgh won the coin toss morally.

by cakeordeath Mon 04 May 2015, 2:22 pm

Just got round to watching the game. Gloucester can count themselves lucky not to pick up 2 red cards. Hopefully there will be a citing.

I don't care how well Laidlaw played he is still Poopie.

Well done to Glaws though, they gave a masterclass in how to keep a hold of the ball and run down the clock

by HongKongCherry Mon 04 May 2015, 3:10 pm

Our local rag have stated the coin toss and date for the play off will be announced tomorrow.

by InjuredYetAgain Mon 04 May 2015, 5:56 pm

I have finally crawled out from under my stone.
Let's start by saying well done to Glaws. Apart from the back 3 where they were miles better, you were just a little better in most departments and that was enough. Very professional way to close the game out - not great spectating but efficient.
Also it is nice to see guys like HKC accepting victory in good grace and without any of the usual pish that can appear on these boards at emotional times.
Would anyone agree that it is fair to say that neither team played to its potential?

by GLove39 Mon 04 May 2015, 8:47 pm

HongKongCherry wrote:Our local rag have stated the coin toss and date for the play off will be announced tomorrow.

Exciting times!

European Rugby Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh V Gloucester - Page 6 55098763

by TJ Mon 04 May 2015, 9:37 pm

LondonTiger wrote:
TJ wrote:Edinburgh showed a lack of creativity, belief and guts but had a chance to win. Gloucester closed the game out very well and for that if for no other reason deserved to win.

No mention of the skill shown by Gloucester in the first half? The only reason you can find for saying they deserved to win was they managed to hold out at the end.

Oh thats not what I meant at all. Gloucester were obviously the better side. I thought that their best piece of play tho was holding the ball for 7 mins in the edinburgh half at the end when a man short. Calm professional and well executed. Gloucester looked a complete team. Edinburgh looked a work in progress. Sorry you misread what was intended to be a compliment. "For that if for no other reason" means there were other reasons they deserved to win but I thought5 the clam way they played the game out at the end was very good indeed. a lessor team would have coughed up the ball and let Edinburgh in.

by TJ Mon 04 May 2015, 9:39 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:
LondonTiger wrote:
TJ wrote:Edinburgh showed a lack of creativity, belief and guts but had a chance to win. Gloucester closed the game out very well and for that if for no other reason deserved to win.

No mention of the skill shown by Gloucester in the first half? The only reason you can find for saying they deserved to win was they managed to hold out at the end.

Think you're jumping to conclusions here LT - 'if for no other reason' means that in itself it was enough to make them deserve the win, it doesn't mean that is the only reason they deserve the win!

Indeed - thank you

by **Notch** Mon 04 May 2015, 11:45 pm

GLove39 wrote:
HongKongCherry wrote:Our local rag have stated the coin toss and date for the play off will be announced tomorrow.

Exciting times!

by TJ Tue 05 May 2015, 7:20 am

London tiger - care to comment?

by RuggerRadge2611 Tue 05 May 2015, 1:33 pm

Edinburgh scrummaged well enough, but I dunno whose idea it was to kick the ball to Sharples and May all game long. That was an error to be sure.

by tigertattie Tue 05 May 2015, 4:53 pm

Cornell Du Preez - Doing What Josh Strauss does, only better

I doff my cap to thee sir

by InjuredYetAgain Tue 05 May 2015, 5:53 pm

I will admit, tattie, that I thought CDP starting was a mistake due to lack of fitness and general sharpness but he did do especially well to run down Sharples (I think but don't quote me) when everyone.else had started the touch rugby season a few weeks early.
The thing that annoys me about Strauss is that he rarely seems to last 80 minutes. Whether that is the tactic or whether he isn't quite as fit as others, I don't know

by **RDW** Tue 05 May 2015, 6:05 pm

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Edinburgh scrummaged well enough, but I dunno whose idea it was to kick the ball to Sharples and May all game long. That was an error to be sure.

The sad thing is we were all saying that before the game, yet the experienced professional coaches and players still thought it was a good idea to do!

by **RDW** Tue 05 May 2015, 7:14 pm

Moriarty has been cited - will be interesting to see if the committee thinks he should have had a red...

by InjuredYetAgain Tue 05 May 2015, 8:39 pm

Going back quite a bit, I remember Martin Leslie copped a few match ban at the WC after a relatively innocuous knee drop (if there can be such a thing). I think it attracts a ban as it is seen as a cheap shot although Jamie Heaslip did get a fractured something or another from a knee drop earlier this season, didn't he?

by InjuredYetAgain Tue 05 May 2015, 8:40 pm

And no matters what ban Moriarty may or may not get, it is time to move on. It was a cheap shot and no need for it but it didn't have an overwhelming difference on the final score.

by **RDW** Tue 05 May 2015, 8:43 pm

InjuredYetAgain wrote:And no matters what ban Moriarty may or may not get, it is time to move on. It was a cheap shot and no need for it but it didn't have an overwhelming difference on the final score.

If he'd been sent off it might have! Very Happy

by InjuredYetAgain Tue 05 May 2015, 8:47 pm

Fair point.
Its a hard call. It was a cheap shot but, by the same token, it didn't do the Edinburgh player much damage. But if we adopt that approach, we get back to the "should the ban match the victim's time out injured" which has been debated to death.

by HongKongCherry Wed 06 May 2015, 12:38 pm

Took longer than expected, but the play-off game has been confirmed it will be at Kingsholm http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/11325.php#.VUn8uY5VhBc

by **RDW** Wed 06 May 2015, 12:42 pm

HongKongCherry wrote:Took longer than expected, but the play-off game has been confirmed it will be at Kingsholm http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/11325.php#.VUn8uY5VhBc

Advantage Gloucester! Two home games - easy.

by HongKongCherry Wed 06 May 2015, 12:44 pm

Although should we get to the final it won't actually be at home because Madness are playing at Kingsholm on 30th! So wonderfully ironic and instead we'll have to make the trip to the truly awful Sixways mad

by **RDW** Wed 06 May 2015, 12:46 pm

Sixways is still a lot closer for Gloucester fans than French fans though!

by Exiledinborders Wed 06 May 2015, 12:54 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:
InjuredYetAgain wrote:And no matters what ban Moriarty may or may not get, it is time to move on. It was a cheap shot and no need for it but it didn't have an overwhelming difference on the final score.

If he'd been sent off it might have!

He probably should have been sent off.

He was however reacting to a cheap shot by the Edinburgh player (nineteen) a couple of minutes before who hit Moriarty in the back at a ruck with a shoulder after the whistle had blown. That also should have received a card.

Difficult to feel sorry for a player who gets back what he dishes out.

by VinceWLB Wed 06 May 2015, 6:23 pm

As we don't know who it will be from the pro 12 yet, was it a draw between Gloucester and.. Gloucester? You have to think so.

What happens to the gates? Is it a 50% share?

by **RDW** Thu 07 May 2015, 7:23 pm

Meakes and Moriarty given two week bans.

So they can rest up for meaningless games and come back for the playoffs!

by **LondonTiger** Thu 07 May 2015, 7:48 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Meakes given two week bans.

Oh dear. I expect a diatribe about biased disciplinary panels from a particular poster.

by HongKongCherry Thu 07 May 2015, 8:24 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Meakes and Moriarty given two week bans.

So they can rest up for meaningless games and come back for the playoffs!

Meaningless games? Irish may not be much but a game against Bath is never, ever meaningless!! boxing

by justified sinner Fri 08 May 2015, 6:45 am

Two weeks for Moriarty given he has previous,not referred to by the panel, seems light to me. Also rating the offence at lower end when it could have left the player in a wheelchair is just wrong.

Meakes seems about right.

by HongKongCherry Fri 08 May 2015, 2:12 pm

justified sinner wrote:Two weeks for Moriarty given he has previous,not referred to by the panel, seems light to me. Also rating the offence at lower end when it could have left the player in a wheelchair is just wrong.

Meakes seems about right.

I've told you a million times do not exaggerate

by funnyExiledScot Fri 08 May 2015, 2:54 pm

It's frustrating that these individuals could well rest up and face us again in the play-offs, but I'm ok with the sanctions dished out. Of the two offences the yellow card looked worse than the red card on the day.

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