European Champions Cup Play-Off - Gloucester v Connacht, 24 May

         
Gloucester v Connacht Rugby
Sunday 24 May
KO: 15:30
Kingsholm

Live on BT Sport 2

Referee: Romain Poite (France)

A. Previous Meetings

Friday, April 3, 2015 - European Challenge Cup Quarter-Final - Gloucester 14 Connacht 7, Kingsholm
Saturday, December 17, 2011 - Heineken Cup Pool 6 - Gloucester 23 Connacht 19, Kingsholm
Saturday, December 10, 2011 - Heineken Cup Pool 6 - Connacht 10 Gloucester 14, the Sportsground

B. Recent Form

Gloucester - (European Challenge Cup semi-final): Won 30-19 at home to Exeter Chiefs; (Aviva Premiership): Won 42-40 at home to Newcastle Falcons; (European Challenge Cup final): Won 19-13 against Edinburgh at Twickenham Stoop; (Aviva Premiership): Won 35-13 at home to London Irish; Lost 50-30 away to Bath

Connacht Rugby - (European Challenge Cup quarter-final): Lost 14-7 away to Gloucester; (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 27-20 at home to Ulster; Lost 31-13 at home to Glasgow Warriors; Won 40-10 away to Zebre; Lost 24-20 at home to the Ospreys

C. Teams

Gloucester: Charlie Sharples; Jonny May, Bill Meakes, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Henry Purdy; James Hook, Greig Laidlaw; Nick Wood, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa, Tom Savage, Tom Palmer, Jacob Rowan, Dan Thomas, Ross Moriarty.

Replacements: Darren Dawidiuk, Yann Thomas, Shaun Knight, Elliott Stooke, Lewis Ludlow, Dan Robson, Billy Burns, Rob Cook.

Connacht Rugby: Tiernan O'Halloran; Fionn Carr, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, John Cooney; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Rodney Ah You, George Naoupu, Aly Muldowney, John Muldoon (capt), Eoghan Masterson, Eoin McKeon.

Replacements: Dave Heffernan, JP Cooney, Finlay Bealham, Andrew Browne, James Connolly, Ian Porter, Miah Nikora, Shane O'Leary.

Surprised there was no match thread for this one.

Here you go. My work is done.

Good job

Hoping for Connacht to shock, but Gloucester are in good form, whereas Connacht's early season form is a bit of a memory. They also have a bad habit of gifting points in the first half then valiantly staging a comeback but ultimately falling short.

Might be a good thing Marmion is out, Cooney has been in much better form. The battle up front will be very exciting, but even though Buckley and Ah You have been good this year, I can't see the Connacht front row standing up to Afoa and Hibbard.

Do Connacht really have 16 players out? That's mad, Ted.

It's funny that Gloucester could rest their front line players for this one as well as the challenge cup final because they play in a league they had nothing to play for

Hoping for a Connacht win but magical home advantage should prove to be the difference.

Yeah big injury list, has been for a while. The big loss for me is Ronaldson, he brings a lot more to 10 than Carty. White, Poolman, and Leader also missed in terms of depth

Who did the coin toss to decide who got the home draw?

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Who did the coin toss to decide who got the home draw?

Probably nobody, it was going to be at Kingsholm anyway. Remember we didn't even know which team from the pro 12 it would be when the coin toss supposedly happened.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Who did the coin toss to decide who got the home draw?

It was done with the red and Gloucester captain straight after they won the Challenge Cup.

Anyone else watching this? What a first half of rugby, both teams playing some lovely stuff!!

Cracking game. Some of the tackling has been optional but has made for a great watch

Shame about that 2 on 1 not executed properly by O'Halloran

Missed most of the first half. Any one player playing well? How is Sharples and May been playing?

May going very well. As is Hook/Laidlaw. Matt Healy been fantastic for Connacht.

Ben Kay can make Jiffy look neutral at times.

Terrible ref. Connaught should have had a yelliw

Soft yellow given by the home ref

Vince go boil your head. Take your anti English blinkers off. Your making a fool of yourself

What a try!!!!

Harsh yellow on Masterson as he was being pinned by the 4, but in fairness with all the penalties from Connacht it was coming.

TOH what a tackle!

What a tackle. And what a game, absolute ding dong of a match. Thrilling stuff.

Replay looked like he took a bad knock, hope he is OK

Wrong option there from Fionn Carr, had lads ooutside

Madness from Gloucester there!

Extra time coming!

Clear obstruction but try still awarded

Awful decision by the ref for that last penalty. Jesus god help those players in extra time, they are out on their feet!

Didn't think there was much in the obstruction, but Palmer (i think?) was floundering on the wrong side of the ruck not rolling away when time should have been called.

Wonder if the fans that started leaving after Connacht scored that pen have headed back?

I think both were very unlucky decisions against Connacht. Gloucs were on wrong side of the ruck. And Twelvetrees held back the Connacht player and you could clearly see his arm around Connacht player's arm.

Not Gloucester's problem, but poor from the officials.

Connacht are on their last legs, and less experience on the pitch. Gloucester should take this ET.

They showed it again, Palmer never rolled away!

So what's the deal with extra time? If both are level at the end but one ends up with more tries are they the winner? Or do we get a shootout?

They have the same number of tries at the minute..

Home ref decision at the scrum once again

Daylight robbery here, I hope there is an arrest warrant for poite

I know, but if we end up coming to end of full time & somehow the teams are still level but say Connacht score 3 unconverted tries to Glaws' 5 pens. I assume Connacht would be declared winners and no shootout?

Exact same situation as with Palmer but guess what, penalty Gloucester.

What a joke

Ref is a joke

If that's given, that's an amazing score.

Went Back IMO

Backwards... but what's the verdict...

Try IMO

Good decision!

A decision which is as correct as it is unpopular!

Game on!

Finally a right call.

Justice for Connacht, although selfishly I was hoping this would go to a shootout!

Truck and trailer but try awarded still

Joke refereeing, Connacht robbed