Team deserved to take Munster flak - Vickery

Gloucester captain Phil Vickery today insisted his Premiership leaders had taken collective responsibility for their Heineken Cup horror show in Limerick last weekend.

Individual players, including Henry Paul and Ludovic Mercier, were targeted for media criticism and by Cherry and Whites fans in a painful aftermath of the 33-6 defeat to Munster which ended Gloucester’s European hopes.

Former rugby league star Paul looks certain to be on the bench tomorrow with South African Thinus Delport replacing him at full-back when Powergen Cup quarter-final opponents Saracens arrive in town.

But Vickery, without naming team-mates, has hit back at the singling-out process.

“We have all hurt this week – none of us played well – but I’m disappointed some reports singled out individual players,” he said.

“For me, that’s not fair. The team didn’t perform and the team didn’t help those players.

“If we had performed as a team, the pressure wouldn’t have been so high on those players.

“We have a job collectively to take the loss on the chin and then pick ourselves up.

“We are all working hard to push this club forward and I hope all the supporters realise it, stick by us, help us recover and get back on track.

“This weekend is about us performing and getting things right on the field, which we didn’t last week.”

Gloucester, having missed out on undoubted six-figure spin-offs by failing to reach the Heineken Cup knockout stages, are desperate for victory over a Saracens side who rest their star player, England back-row colossus Richard Hill.

France international Thomas Castaignede and fly-half Andy Goode are injured, so Saracens coach Wayne Shelford calls up Adryan Winnan and Fiji Test number 10 Nicky Little, who makes his first start since breaking his arm last October.

Up front, New Zealand prop Mike Storey is given his first start and hooker Robbie Russell makes his seasonal bow following surgery last summer.

“Playing against Gloucester at Kingsholm in the Powergen Cup will be very tough indeed, but it would be a fantastic result to beat them on their own patch,” said Shelford.

“Although they went down to Munster in the Heineken Cup last weekend, Gloucester have shown in the Zurich Premiership that they are an in-form side with many strengths and not many weaknesses.”

As for resting Hill on the bench, Shelford added: “We will miss Richard quite a bit during the World Cup later this year so we need to try alternative combinations.”

Bath’s new Scotland squad member Simon Danielli hopes the West Country club can reach their first domestic cup semi-final since 1996 when they entertain Northampton tomorrow.

The 10-time cup winners have displayed impressive form in knockout competitions this season and should have Mike Catt back to control operations from fly-half following his prolonged hamstring injury.

“Northampton will be a formidable challenge because they will have their eye on a return to Twickenham after losing last season’s final to London Irish,” said Danielli.

“They showed what they are capable of at Franklin’s Gardens earlier this season, when we went to sleep for 15 minutes before half-time and they took the game right away from us.

“We must make home advantage and the home support count. At our best, we are good enough to beat them, and last week’s first-half display against Montauban should serve as a warning of what could happen if we don’t perform.

“We haven’t forgotten our league defeat at Franklin’s Gardens earlier in the season because we didn’t do ourselves justice in that game by any means.

“But whenever we’ve come up against a side for the second time this season, with the possible exception of Leeds, there has been a significant improvement in our performance.

“We need to continue that trend against Northampton and with ‘Catty’ back directing operations from midfield, there’s a fair chance we can.”

Bath are without shoulder injury-victims Iain Balshaw and Dan Lyle – they both undergo surgery tomorrow and face 12-week lay-offs – but Saints are boosted by the return of fit-again flankers Andrew Blowers and Budge Pountney.

Northampton’s England wing Ben Cohen makes his 150th first-team appearance, while hooker Steve Thompson and lock Steve Williams start as replacements.