A last-ditch drop goal denied Gloucester a place in next season’s European Champions Cup. Pierre Bernard’s effort from just outside the 22 edged Bordeaux-Bègles a point clear in a fraught finale. Until the fly-half popped up to finish off a final attack Gloucester had controlled most of this play-off match at Worcester’s Sixways ground, but they were denied at the last.
David Humphreys, Gloucester’s director of rugby, admitted his team wasted their advantage before half-time. “It should have been dead and buried by then,” he said about a dominant first period during which the Premiership team led 19-3 at one stage. Gloucester had to move up the M5 because Kingsholm was booked for a Madness concert on Saturday, night before they became involved in a convoluted qualifying process following their win in the European Challenge Cup.
When Greig Laidlaw struck his fifth penalty goal eight minutes from time Gloucester led 22-20 and started to play down the clock. However, their tactics came unstuck when Bordeaux won a penalty on halfway which led to a forward drive from which Bernard took aim.
Gloucester had looked set for a comfortable victory after 35 minutes. A try by Henry Purdy – a late replacement on the wing for an unwell Jonny May – had capped off a powerful start. Backed up by the goal-kicking of Laidlaw, Gloucester raced ahead thanks to Purdy scampering on to James Hook’s chip to the corner and a conversion and four penalties from the Scotland scrum-half. Bordeaux were out of sorts and unhappy at the number of decisions for Gloucester by Leighton Hodges, the Welsh referee.
However, the visitors were boosted a minute before the interval when Metuisela Talebula burst from his own 22 to score under the posts. Bernard kicked the conversion to go alongside two earlier penalty goals. The second half became increasingly nervous and was disrupted by yellow cards for a prop from both teams for repeated collapsed scrums.
Gloucester lost momentum as Bordeaux found their best form to work a second try for Talebula out wide which was converted by Bernard. That score left the Premiership a point down at 19-20 but Laidlaw’s fifth penalty put them back ahead until the final minute when Bernard dropped in.
Gloucester Cook; Sharples, Meakes (McColl, 67), Twelvetrees (capt), Purdy; Hook, Laidlaw; Wood (Thomas, 56), Hibbard (Dawidiuk, 60), J Afoa, Savage, Palmer, S Kalamafoni (E Stooke, 76), J Rowan (D Thomas, 60), R Moriarty.
Try Purdy. Con Laidlaw. Pens Laidlaw 5. Sin bin Afoa.
Bordeaux-Bègles L Beauxis (Serin, 47); Talebula, Le Bourhis, Rey, Connor; Bernard, Adams (Lesgourgues, 57); Poirot (J-B Poux, 56), Avei (Maynadier, 70), Toetu (Kodela, 40), Marais, Botha (Jaulhac , 37), Madaule (capt, Clarkin, 56), Chalmers, P Saili.Tries Talebula 2. Cons Bernard 2. Pens Bernard 2. Drop goal Bernard. Sin bin Poirot.
Referee L Hodges (Wales). Attendance 10,000.
