About Gloucester Rugby's 34-24 Pool 6 Heoneken Cup victory over Stade Toulousain at Kingsholm last night.
Examples:
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY TODAY
Graham Clutton
An extravagant victory for Gloucester at Kingsholm, but a ninth quarter-final appearance in the last 10 years was the reward for Toulouse, thanks to Connacht’s victory over Harlequins in Galway.
On a night when not even a bonus-point success over the French champions could earn the Premiership side a place in the last eight, Gloucester produced arguably their most complete performance of the season to avenge their defeat in the south of France in November.
They scored tries through Jonny May (two), Akapusi Qera and Charlie Sharples and played with a spirit that suggests the second half of the domestic season will be significantly more prolific than the first. On the evidence of this, the Heineken Cup quarter finals will be a poorer place without the Cherry and Whites.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9027621/Gloucester-34-Toulouse-24-match-report.html
Chris Hewett
Generous souls, these Gloucester types. The Cherry and Whites did everything in their power to give Harlequins a helping hand on the Heineken Cup qualification front last night, putting four tries past the most successful club in the tournament's history to register a victory of stunning magnitude. Over in the west of Ireland, Quins did their level best to muck things up for themselves and duly did so by losing to Connacht by a point, 9-8, handing the pool victory to a deeply relieved Toulouse. There's gratitude for you.
The game at Kingsholm had some high-voltage electricity about it from the start, although the first significant act was of the lights-out variety, committed by the Gloucester prop Nick Wood in the first minute. George Clancy, the referee, decided Wood was up to no good at a ruck on the Toulouse 22 and immediately flourished a yellow card in his direction. Playing against the French champions with a full complement of personnel is never less than a test of the most severe variety, so the West Countrymen faced a brutal examination now.
……
But Toulouse are not four-time champions for nothing. Beauxis, one of the most formidable kicking stand-offs in the world game, suddenly chanced his arm with a broken-field run, instigating a stunning attack involving Dusautoir, Clément Poitrenaud and Maxime Médard, who combined to give Matanavou his second try. Beauxis added the extras to square it at 24-apiece. It was fast becoming the most engrossing Heineken Cup game ever seen at this famous old venue.
Then came the killer moments. Burns banged over a penalty after the highly-rated young prop Shaun Knight took it upon himself to boss Toulouse around at a defensive scrum. Then, Simpson-Daniel wrong-footed Matanavou down the left before finding May on the optimum line. The full-back, so fleet of foot, raced to the left corner for a try magisterially converted by his outside-half. Sensational.
Rob Wildman
Gloucester stunned French champions Toulouse thanks to their group of speedsters led by Jonny May and Charlie Sharples.
May scored two tries and Sharples one as Gloucester finished the Heineken Cup pool games in euphoric mood at Kingsholm.
Gloucester finished third in Pool Six and must now concentrate on the Aviva Premiership but Toulouse, despite the defeat, still qualified for the quarter-finals as pool winners following Harlequins’ shock defeat.
Robert Kitson
There have been few more entertaining games than this all season and, for Gloucester, none more satisfying. It is not often Toulouse are outdone for pace and vigour but this was a rare example of it, regardless of the qualification maths. This will go down as one of the great West Country nights, studded with brilliant scores and glorious ambition.
All present will certainly remember it for years, not least the final try by the outstanding Jonny May, his second of the match, barely five minutes from the end, which sealed the outcome. James Simpson-Daniel's break on halfway and pass inside to the flying May summed up a wonderful home effort, with Freddie Burns also kicking 14 points. If English rugby needed a pre-Six Nations boost, this was definitely it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/20/gloucester-toulouse-heineken-cup?newsfeed=true
Gloucester delivered comfortably their best performance of the season, claiming a bonus point in the process, although it was too little too late in terms of this season's Heineken Cup following home and away defeats to Quins after losing in Toulouse.
For their part, Toulouse will limp, rather than swagger into the last eight for a 13th time, and Gloucester's performance exposed weaknesses in their armoury under pressure.
Gloucester completed their Heineken Cup campaign in scintillating fashion with a bonus-point victory over Toulouse.
Their qualification hopes were over before kick-off, but the Cherry and Whites sent the Kingsholm crowd into raptures with a brilliant display of running rugby against the four-time champions.
http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_report/0,20244,11069_51395_1,00.html
Nick Purewal
NO FINER catalyst against no finer side could Gloucester have asked for as they desperately scratched around to kick-start their season.No scratching around at Kingsholm tonight, not on your life.
Gloucester struck back to their absolute gold standard performance, with a victory to reverberate around the continent.
Not because of what it means for the competition, that means nothing – but because as a statement of intent there could be few bigger.
“We’re good enough and gritty enough to excel at this level” the Gloucester collective screamed.
The Shed, bless them, chanted ‘Can we play you every week’.
And the Cherry and White troupers in the middle, they shrugged off every setback, every problem thrown at them – and pulled off a remarkable result.
This is the victory Gloucester have been waiting for, the victory that can set their season back on course.
And a victory to go down in the already-glittering Gloucester Rugby history.
Duncan Wood
There have been some memorable European nights at Kingsholm over the years but this was one of the best as Gloucester stunned Toulouse with a 34-24 win.
http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/rugby/7871.php
Gloucester secured a consolation victory in the final Pool 6 match in the Heineken Cup, but Toulouse still topped the group despite their defeat.
The Cherry and Whites had no chance of qualification but rallied from 17-14 down at half-time at Kingsholm.
Four-time winners Toulouse ensured a place in the last eight for the 13th time since the tournament began in 1995, but their weaknesses were exposed by a Gloucester renaissance full of adventure and creativity.
WHAT THE COACH SAID
Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath:
"It was a great performance.
"We knew they had picked a big, physical side and we showed them a lot of respect. I thought numbers one to 23 - our substitutes that came on made a big difference as well - were great.
"I am delighted for the boys because we finished off the Heineken Cup in style."
