European Challenge Cup: Gloucester 31-7 Scarlets
2025-01-11
Category: sports

European Rugby Challenge Cup, KingsholmGloucester (19) 31Tries: Englefield, Clement, Barton, Blake, Wade Cons: Carreras 2, BartonScarlets (0) 7Tries: James Cons: Lloyd
Gloucester moved firmly into contention for the knockout stage of the European Challenge Cup as they secured a bonus-point victory over Scarlets at Kingsholm.Tries from scrum-half Caolon Englefield, flanker Jack Clement and full-back George Barton helped them lead 19-0 at half-time.Replacement hooker Seb Blake secured the bonus point soon after the restart before Christian Wade added the coup de grace six minutes from time.For Scarlets, Eddie James' second-half try was their only reply on a chastening evening that saw Wales fly-half Sam Costelow forced off with a shoulder injury.
Costelow lasted just 11 minutes and he may be a concern for Wales head coach Warren Gatland, who names his Six Nations squad on Monday.Scarlets, on six points in Pool Three, can still qualify for the knockout stage in their final game at home to Vannes next week.
But Gloucester moved to nine points with their second win of the competition and travel to Bayonne in round four.They scored the opening try in just the fourth minute as Christian Wade's grubber up the left wing bounced kindly for Barton to drive just short of the line and Englefield darted over.Clement was driven over from a rolling maul before Barton took a long pass in Scarlets' 22 to run an outside arc and slide between two defenders to score Gloucester's third try in the right corner.Another efficient maul from the hosts' pack led to Blake's try after the break that effectively sealed the game.Scarlets avoided a blank night as Taine Plumtree took a cross field kick to send James over.But a second try was snuffed out by a huge tackle by Chris Harris and the loose ball was hacked upfield by Wade who won the race to touch down.
Gloucester head coach George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:"The boys' attitude was brilliant, especially in defence and the breakdown that ultimately won us the game."Even the try at the end came from a massive defensive set."There were some good tries in there and we were accurate in their 22."They had a huge amount of possession in our 22 and we largely managed to hold them out."
Gloucester: Barton; Wade, Harris, Llewellyn, Hathaway; Carreras, Englefield; Vivas, Singleton, Knight, Thomas, Clark, Clement, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann.Replacements: Blake, Ford-Robinson, Gotovstev, Jordan, Clarke, Tuisue, Williams, Atkinson.Scarlets: Lloyd; Mee, Page, James, Murray; Costelow, Hughes; Mathias, van der Merwe, Thomas, Craig, Douglas, Plumtree, Macleod (capt), Fifita.Replacements: Evans, Hepburn, Hawley, Lousi, Taylor, Davies, Roberts, Nicholas.Referee: Jeremy Rozier