Following a 23-5 victory for Gloucester over Bath, here are our five takeaways from the Gallagher PREM encounter at Kingsholm on Friday.
The top line
Gloucester earned the derby spoils over their West Country rivals with a fantastic defensive display against Bath as they earned their third victory in four league games.
Almost three years ago, Finn Russell famously shushed the Shed, but this time it was the Cherry and White supporters who were putting their fingers to their lips as the maverick Scotland fly-half was silenced by a magnificent effort from the hosts.
Led by the ubiquitous Wales star Jac Morgan, Gloucester withstood wave after wave of Bath attacks and were ultimately clinical when the opportunities came their way. George Barton was on target with three quick-fire penalties as the home side moved 9-0 ahead before the visitors responded via Kepu Tuipulotu’s try.
That was the only score the 2024/2025 PREM champions could muster, despite the plethora of chances that came their way. They constantly coughed up possession when inside the opposition 22, which was in stark contrast to the Cherry and Whites, who sealed the win through Freddie Thomas and Max Llewellyn tries.
No points fest this week
It seemed like defence coaches were allowed to run the sessions this week. After the recent spate of high scores and porous English defences, which led to plenty of criticism following their Investec Champions Cup struggles last weekend, it felt like we had stepped back in time. Granted, Storm Austen helped to an extent as the wind and rain made it difficult for both teams, but it was more about the willingness of both West Country clubs to put their bodies on the line.
Gloucester were one of the few sides to emerge with some credit in the aftermath of the first round of European action, earning a creditable draw with back-to-back champions Bordeaux-Bègles, and the grit they showed was very much in evidence on Friday. While we all revel in watching teams attack with vigour, it was almost refreshing to see an almost old-school contest at Kingsholm.
What’s more, it did not detract from a fantastic contest where the physicality and sheer defensive desperation, especially from the Cherry and Whites, was just as enjoyable as the free-flowing rugby there’s been at the start of the season. One of the best things about this sport is the variety, while England boss Steve Borthwick probably enjoyed that more than the tryfests he’s watched previously.
Gloucester’s defence
For half an hour of this game it was scoreless, thanks mainly to a stunning defensive effort from the Cherry and Whites, who withstood a barrage of attacks from Bath. Their infringements close to the tryline led to yellow cards for Ollie Thorley and Ciaran Knight, but the hosts remained firm with the visitors having two tries disallowed in the first half.
In fact, Gloucester opened the scoring with those players off the field before Barton kicked two more penalties to extend their buffer to nine. Only at the end of the opening period were George Skivington’s men breached, ironically after Thorley and Knight had returned, but they still did incredibly well to reach the interval ahead.
Half-time offered only brief respite as Bath continued to pound the Gloucester line, resulting in another sin-binning, this time to Will Joseph, but once again the home side remained resolute and resisted their arch-rivals. It was that resilience in the face of adversity which proved utterly vital to this victory and showed there are genuine contenders this season.
Bath’s profligacy
While the Gloucester rearguard has quite rightly been praised, Bath supporters, coaches and players will once again be frustrated by their misfiring attack. Despite containing the genius that is Russell and some positive moments at the start of this campaign, it is fair to say they have not been nearly as fluent since the departure of Lee Blackett.
The defeat against Montpellier, where they failed to take advantage of several promising positions, was frustrating, but this loss points to a bigger issue at the heart of Bath’s game. Granted, the conditions were not easy but, in their limited opportunities with ball in hand, the Cherry and Whites were far more incisive. In contrast, Johann van Graan’s men were uninspiring and one-dimensional.
The standouts
Not too many fancied Gloucester to do much this season but their recruitment was objectively excellent. While Wales have been utterly hopeless for the past three years, there is no doubt that Dewi Lake and Morgan are of Test class. Most importantly, they are leaders and have ultimately brought higher standards to this Cherry and Whites outfit.
Morgan was particularly excellent and led their defensive effort alongside the similarly destructive Jean Kleyn, who is another newcomer at Kingsholm. They were ably supported by the equally industrious academy talent, with Thomas, Jack Clement and Arthur Clark all vital to this victory.
It was that pack effort which proved decisive, but credit must also go to Barton at full-back, who kicked 11 points and was good on both sides of the ball in difficult conditions. He is a player who has stepped up significantly this season and is now a mainstay in that Gloucester XV.
As for Bath, there were some positive individual contributions with 20-year-old Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi looking like an incredible talent for Italy in the second-row. The likes of Josh Bayliss, Kepu Tuipulotu, despite his lineout wobbles, Beno Obano and Archie Griffin also had their moments, but as a collective they faltered.