Hartpury 26-31 Gloucester
Hartpury lack clinical edge to complete famous upset
By Jack Tozer
Disappointment filled Hartpury’s squad when the final whistle blew as they lossed narrowly to Gloucester in a tough fought encounter at the University ground.
With Gloucester going down to 13 men in the final 10 minutes the score line could easily have been different come the final whistle.
Referencing chances to snatch the game from their local rivals, a downbeat Hartpury head coach Mark Cornwell said: “It was frustrating at times. We made far too many errors and Gloucester punished us.
Hartpury fly-half Harry Bazalgette said he was “genuinely gutted” but looked at the positives, adding: “Two points in this competition could be important. We’ve got to go again into the Exeter game.
“We’ve had a fantastic first block but looking where we are, we’re close to where we need to be and that gives us confidence in this competition.”
The Cherries opened the scoring on the fourth minute through an easy score for Freddie Clarke. The second-row was left untouched to score under the sticks as he put his side into the lead.
Just as they did with all their afternoon’s setbacks, Hartpury replied well through the form of a try of their own.
After receiving a clearing kick, inside-centre Robert Smith dashed across the width of the field and picked out Oliver Holliday. The winger was caught metres from the line, but with the recycled ball fullback Alex Morgan was able to go on the short-side and score in the corner.
Bazalgette impressively slotted the extras from the touchline to level the score on the ten-minute mark.
On the 15th minute, Gloucester No.8 Albert Tuisue regained the visitor’s lead off the back of a strong driving maul.
The following encounters favoured the Premiership outfit as Robbie Smith was shown a yellow card and Gloucester added a third try when wing Josh Hathaway received a silky cross field kick by Charlie Chapman to score in the corner.
As the clocked over the half-hour mark, the home-side fought back. Hartpury’s depleted back-line was able to fling the ball out wide with flair, Alex Morgan released winger Bradley Denty to score in the corner from a sharp offload.
With the half-time break looming, the away-side managed to get one more score on the board with Ioan Jones’ sliding over, putting the Cherry-and-Whites ahead by 12 points at the break.
Wasting no time from the restart after half-time, Hartpury were back in the game just two minutes into the second half.
Openside flanker Harry Short peeled around the blind side of the maul, selling a dummy with finesse then sending scrum-half Mike Austin into the corner to score.
But Gloucester’s pack were not going to lie down. Another Tuisue try from a charging maul stretched their lead once more with 20 minutes left to play.
After a period of ‘Pury pressure in the final 10 minutes, the home-side’s forwards were awarded a deserved penalty-try.
Gloucester’s second row Freddie Clarke was sent to the bin for illegally stopping a probing maul on the 71st minute, and three minutes later the visitors went down to 13 men as Hathaway was also sent to the side line for a deliberate knock on.
Despite Hartpury having chances to flip the score line in the final exchanges, 13-man Gloucester were able to retain their narrow and come away with a well fought win.
Hartpury head-coach Mark Cornwell expressed his contrasting feelings afterwards, and said: “I’m proud of the boys in the sense that we stuck at it, but it was a couple of clinical things that cost them the result.
“If you want to play against the better teams and play at the better levels, you got to get the simple things right. Good sides and good players punish you.”
Hartpury fly-half Harry Bazalgette said: “It’s small margins, but we can blame decisions but everything we do is in our control, and we couldn’t quite get ourselves over the line.
“Down to 13 with five to go and five points in it we were licking our lips bit then not getting the lineout right. You can count the times where certain things let us down in the critical times.”
Gloucester coach Wayne Thompson said: “We kept the pace in the game in the first half got some good territory and we took it to Hartpury.
“In the second half our own mistakes let them back into the game. They are a quality outfit with good player and coach and too many mistakes will let them back in it.”
Stats
Hartpury:
Penalties conceded: 11
Scrums won: 6
Scrums lost: 0
Lineouts won: 12
Lineouts lost: 2
Sin-bins: 1
Gloucester:
Penalties conceded: 7
Scrums won: 7
Scrums lost: 0
Lineouts won: 13
Lineouts lost: 1
Sin-bins: 2
Hartpury
Tries: Alex Morgan 10, Bradley Denty 33, Michael Austin 42, penalty try 71
Conversions: Harry Bazalgette 10, 33
Penalties:
Drop goals:
Gloucester:
Tries: Freddie Clarke 4, Albert Tuisue 15, 60, Joshua Hathaway 25, Ioan Jones 36,
Conversions: Rory Taylor 4, 25, 36
Penalties:
Drop goals:
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Hartpury: Alex Morgan, Bradley Denty (Kyle McGhie 77), Josiah Edwards-Giraud, Robert Smith, Oliver Holliday, Harry Bazalgette, Michael Austin (Matthew Jones 65); Harry Edwards (James Gibbons 64) , Ethan Hunt (Will Crane 57), Joseph Rees (Oliver Minnius 64), Cameron Cobbett (Evan Minto 61), Jack Davies, Samuel Lewis, Harry Short, Jarrad Hayler
Not used: Carn Richards-Farr, Ellis Hart
Gloucester: Ioan Jones, Joshua Hathaway, Louis Hillman-Cooper (Thomas Penny 64), Morgan Adderly-Jones (Max Knight 57), Jack Reeves, Rory Taylor, Charlie Chapman (Harry Gipson 68); Aristot Benz-Salomon (Harrison Bellamy 63), Morgan Nelson (Gareth Blackmore 68), Jonathon Benz-Salomon (Alfie Petch 54), Freddie Clarke, Daniel Eite (Caio James 41), Deian Gwynne, Harry Taylor, Albert Tuisue
Unused: George Knowles
-
Half time: 14 - 26 (to Gloucester)
Attendance: 1,743
Referee: George Selwood
Star players: Michael Austin (Hartpury) / Albert Tuisue (Gloucester)
