Gloucester need win at Munster after defeat

Perpignan 31 Gloucester 23

Gloucester face a mouth-watering showdown in Munster to save their European Cup dreams after suffering their first defeat in Perpignan this afternoon.

Their trip to Limerick for their last pool two will almost certainly decide their fate in this season’s Heineken Cup after Perpignan’s victory left the group wide open.

The French side thoroughly deserved their victory and it was far more commanding than the scoreline suggests.

In the raw and raucous Stade Aime Giral, the home side possessed far too much power and precision in the forwards and more structure and organisation in the backs.

They had many heroes on a wonderful afternoon that resulted in three well-earned tries and a commanding performance from their Australian fly-half Manny Edmonds.

He was their inspiration as Perpignan opened a 23-6 lead by the break.

Edmonds kicked a fifth-minute penalty before launching himself between Robert Todd and Jake Bore to score their first try after 14 minutes. He converted to hand his side a 10-0 advantage. All Gloucester could muster in the first period were two long distance penalties converted by Ludo Mercier as the home side swept all before them.

With Phil Murphy and Lionel Mallier controlling the fierce Perpignan forwards Gloucester could not break out of their half.

Edmonds kicked two more penalties to extend their lead before Nicolas Mas burrowed over from close range to cement Perpignan’s well-deserved advantage.

Mercier did his best to reduce the deficit with a 41st-minute penalty but Gloucester’s hopes of an unlikely victory were rapidly receding.

There was no denying Perignan’s control and power and with half-an-hour to go Edmonds’ chip was not covered by Thinus Delport and centre Pascal Giordani slid in to score a crucial third try.

Edmonds missed the conversion but added a penalty to leave Perpignan 31-9 ahead with a little over 15 minutes remaining.

Gloucester then mounted something of a recovery and with five minutes remaining Bore was driven over from close range for their first try. Mercier added their conversion.

With time ebbing away the Cherry and Whites then struck a potentially crucial blow when Mercier took Tom Beim’s pass to surge in behind the posts for the try. Mercier recovered in time to land the conversion and it brought Gloucester to within eight points but not even that could mask the magnitude of the defeat.