Gloucester Preview

By Ian Todd
March 23 2006

Our away match against West Country rivals Gloucester is the next step in our struggle to move away from the foot of the table and stay in the Premiership.

Bristol’s next challenge as we fight to secure our place in the Premiership is a daunting visit to Gloucester. Gloucester have lost successive in the Premiership matches to B**h (a team they are inexplicable unable to beat) and to Northampton. Unusually, at Kingsholm Gloucester have won just once in their last three games, a fine 34-16 victory against Leicester.

Bristol’s only victory in any competition this year was the tense 13 - 19 win over Saracens at Vicarage Road at the end of February, but we have at least picked up a league point in eight of our last nine matches.

Gloucester appear to have exchanged rôles with B**h as our bogey side: Bristol’s only win over Gloucester in our last 16 encounters in all competitions since February 1997 was 18-9 at the Mem in the Premiership on 6 January 2001. Bristol’s last win at Kingsholm was 24-6 way back in the old League Division One in March 1994.

Bristol travel to Kingsholm in real need of league points but Richard Hill has resisted the temptation to make many changes.

The back line is unchanged from that which started against London Irish th and the only change in the pack sees Joe El Abd return at open side in preference to Craig Short, who must be disappointed after some good performances. There are changes on the bench with reinforcements to the pack dominating: five forwards and two backs.

Mark Irish makes his return to Kingsholm as replacement prop and Roy Winters is back in the first team squad. Danny Gray is named as replacement fly half and David Lemi is back from Commonwealth Games duty where he appeared in a shirt with his name hand-lettered on what appeared to be strapping stuck to the back of his shirt!

Our performance at the Mem against Gloucester was probably the most disappointing this season, particularly defensively, but I would certainly back us to get a bonus point and I have a feeling that we might even sneak a win.

Bristol:

Vaughan Going, Lee Robinson, Rob Higgitt, Sam Cox, Marko Stanojevic, Jason Strange, Shaun Perry, David Hilton, Mark Regan, Darren Crompton, Nathan Budgett, Gareth Llewellyn, Matt Salter (captain), Joe El Abd, Dan Ward-Smith

Replacements:

Mark Irish, Saul Nelson, Roy Winters, Mariano Sambucetti, Craig Short, Danny Gray, David Lemi