Tonight the first of two European Finals will be decided at the Twickenham Stoop as Gloucester Rugby and Edinburgh Rugby will go head to head in order that one can be crowned the 2015 European Challenge Cup Champions. If Gloucester Rugby are victorious they will gain a place in the playoffs for the European Champions Cup whilst if Edinburgh Rugby prevail they will have the pride of saying that they are the first Scottish side ever to achieve European Silverware, so the stakes are high.
This match promises to be a pacy and intense affair given the individuals across both of the starting XVs and benches. It is my great hope neither side tightens up due to enormity of the occasion and the prizes at stake and instead they play with the fluidity that they have both shown during the course of the competition.
Gloucester’s back line is one of the most potent of all, on its day. Charlie Sharples has really blossomed in the Full Back shirt this season, the extra space that he has to play with in front of him allows him to make meters in a style akin to a man that calls The Stoop his home, Mike Brown. Their experienced half backs, Greig Laidlaw and James Hook, will be critical for their success this evening, as they have been all season. When they are firing, alongside Billy Twelvetrees, the shape and pace of their attack flows and their accuracy is vital in order to ignite their speedsters. If this were twelve months ago we’d be discussing Gloucester’s pack in a negative light, there would be words of concern and frustration at their lack of ability to provide the platform required, however this year the opposite is true. Nick Wood, Richard Hibbard and John Afoa will have their hands full with Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and WP Nel however it will be an area that they believe they can gain the upper hand.
Gloucester’s back line is one of the most potent of all, on its day. Charlie Sharples has really blossomed in the Full Back shirt this season, the extra space that he has to play with in front of him allows him to make meters in a style akin to a man that calls The Stoop his home, Mike Brown. Their experienced half backs, Greig Laidlaw and James Hook, will be critical for their success this evening, as they have been all season. When they are firing, alongside Billy Twelvetrees, the shape and pace of their attack flows and their accuracy is vital in order to ignite their speedsters. If this were twelve months ago we’d be discussing Gloucester’s pack in a negative light, there would be words of concern and frustration at their lack of ability to provide the platform required, however this year the opposite is true. Nick Wood, Richard Hibbard and John Afoa will have their hands full with Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and WP Nel however it will be an area that they believe they can gain the upper hand.
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| (C) Opta |
Naturally in a World Cup Year these European knock out fixtures and Finals give International Head Coaches the chance to see if individuals can handle pressure that is akin to Test level and that is exactly what I expect Vern Cotter to be doing this weekend. Vern will have the pleasure of witnessing his Scotland Captain go head to head with a man that has impressed us all; Sam Hidalgo - Clyne. Hidalgo - Clyne makes rugby look effortless, like all of the great players do, he has scored 91 points to date in the competition more than any other man in the European Challenge Cup and I expect him to flourish in this Final and not shy away from the pressure on his shoulders.
Both sides have worked incredibly hard to put themselves in contention for the silverware and both are well aware of how soul destroying it is to fall at the final hurdle. This match should have it all, the pace and precision of two dynamic back lines with Visser, Tonks, Sharples and May, two strong front three’s wrestling for supremacy and a breakdown of vital importance with Matt Kvesic wanting to continue to remind of his specific prowess at that area. If Gloucester put their game on the park, as they did so against the Exeter Chiefs then they will fancy themselves to take the victory however at this stage in the competition guarantees cannot be made.
