Gloucester earn fourth straight challenge Cup win

Scotland international Greg Laidlaw scored 22 points for Gloucester in their 27-13 European Rugby Challenge Cup victory over Worcester at Kingsholm Stadium.

The victory makes Gloucester’s record in the European Rugby Challenge Cup four from four matches.

Greig Laidlaw’s 22-point haul and a try from former Worcester favourite Matt Kvesic saw the Cherry and Whites break Sale Sharks’ record with their 13th straight triumph.

Ben Howard impressed again with a try, but it was not enough to keep Worcester’s qualification hopes alive.

Gloucester have 17 points from four rounds of European action and look set to march into the quarter-finals once again. Just like last week, it was the Warriors who scored the game’s first try after Laidlaw and Ryan Lamb had exchanged penalties.

Worcester secured turnover ball and eventually shovelled it out to Andy Symons, who stepped to make a half-break before feeding Howard, who showcased his pace to race in from 50 metres out. Lamb converted to give Worcester an early 10-3 lead.

But their advantage was short-lived. A Worcester attack had the hosts scrambling, but full-back Rob Cook collected and side-stepped his way out of trouble. The ball was worked across the field before Jonny May got his hands on it and kicked downfield.

The visitors could not gather and May stole in and found Laidlaw with a quick pass, and all the Scotland scrum-half had to do was waltz over before hitting the target with the conversion. Laidlaw landed a penalty to make it 16-10 at half-time before notching another after the break to make it 19-10.

Both sides swapped penalties again before Kvesic broke his former side’s hearts with a try, as he was shunted over the line from a close-range lineout.

Final Score Gloucester 27 (16) Worcester 13 (10)

Scorers

Gloucester
Tries – Laidlaw, Kvesic
Pen – Laidlaw 5
Con – Laidlaw
Drop –

Worcester
Tries – Howard
Pen – Lamb 2
Con – Lamb
Drop –

Match Officials
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales),
Assistant ref: Simon Rees (Wales),
Assistant ref: Martyn Lewis (Wales),
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (Wales),
Citing Commissioner: Ray Wilton (Wales)

Teams

Gloucester Rugby: Rob Cook; Charlie Sharples, Henry Purdy, Billy Twelvetrees (c), Jonny May; James Hook, Greig Laidlaw; Yann Thomas, Darren Dawiduik, Nicky Thomas, Tom Savage, Mariano Galarza, Jacob Rowan, Matt Kvesic, Lewis Ludlow

Replacements: Tom Lindsay, Dan Murphy, Josh McNulty, Elliot Stooke, Tom Hicks, Willi Heinz, Billy Burns, Mark Atkinson

Worcester Warriors: Ben Howard; Dean Hammond, Alex Grove, Andy Symons, Tom Biggs; Ryan Lamb, Charlie Mulchrone (c); Val Rapava Ruskin , Ben Sowrey, Mike Daniels, Dan Sanderson , Tevita Cavubati , Sam Betty, Carl Kirwan, Marco Mama

Replacements: Jaba Bregvadze, Ryan Bower, Gareth Milasinovich, Darren Barry, Huw Taylor, Jonny Arr, Tiff Eden, Max Stelling

With thanks to EPCRugby