Stark

Gloucester 9 – London Irish 13

This was a stark disappointment and those who chanted ‘Boring, Boring Irish!’ had it wrong (as blinking usual). The Irish game plan was simple, efficient and represented what Gloucester should aspire to. I’d settle for a bullying, juggernaut forward pack with a few brain cells behind it any day. My goodness, it worked against a lacklustre Gloucester side that not only deserved to lose but by more than the meagre four points that separated. Had Gloucester have snatched it at the death – and we had a line-out in their 22 in the dying seconds only to mess it up – I would have been leaping around like a leapy thing but with a hint of sheepishness about the size of the injustice too. Irish were a country mile better than the city.

But, and there is always a ‘but’, this should always be regarded as a season of transition. This term’s Gloucester are vastly better then last year’s Kiole/Bezuidenhout mortification and with key men signed up early and the transfer of big Will James indicating a desire to beef up the front five, one should not reach for the prozac just yet. Expectations are always high at Kingsholm but, it has to be said, the club is a top six outfit only. Only gradual rebuilding will propel us higher. Right now, qualification for the Heineken Cup must be the only target for the rest of the season, by any means. I’d wager we’ll take on Leicester in a week and, with a bit of extra fire in our bellies, sneak a win that will dispel the current gloom and doom. We are still fourth in the league for Preedy’s sake.