A LIVELY NIGHT....

Well, it was quite an evening last Friday wasn't it? I'm sure that even if you didn't get to see the game you won't have missed all the post-match brouhaha on social media and in the the press, with a few issues arising from a wet January evening under the lights at Kingsholm...

The game itself was a close, tense and absorbing encounter, with Gloucester, even missing some of their senior players, looking strong, quick, well-organised, and, as always at home, highly motivated and gave as good as they got against an almost fully loaded Sarries 23 coming off the back of a big win against Exeter.

Max Malins had gone over in the corner early in the game, the always impressive Ollie Thorley had replied with the match settling into an even contest.  

Alex Goode was yellow-carded for an ice hockey-like body check.

The scoring up to the last fifteen minutes then came from the respective boots of messrs. Farrell and Carreras although Owen uncharacteristically missed more than he landed (I’ve suspected for a little while that a knock he took against the All Blacks have something to do with recent kicking problems), and a try from Ivan Zyl had put Sarries’ noses in front at 13-16.

In the last ten minutes, the game really came to life – with seven minutes left, a Carreras penalty had levelled the scores at 16-16, and as the game drew towards its closing stages with the two sides still evenly matched and a draw felt like a right result.

Within the last five minutes, and I must admit that I didn’t spot it from my seat, Owen recklessly no-arm tackled an opponent - which the ref didn’t pick up either and so our skipper went unpunished.

The above being the case, Owen was free to enact the final moment of the game when Sarries worked their way forward and after a couple of opportunities to create space for an attempt at a drop goal did not come to fruition, the ball was worked back to Owen to land a kick from forty-five metres out to take the game 16-19.  

Most rugby fans know that a trip to Kingsholm is an event in the calendar that not everyone necessarily looks forward to – and I do know people who refuse to go at all – but in the past I’ve recommended  people who haven’t been there to go once at least, just to experience a unique atmosphere which I can only liken to a football match in the Seventies with chants of “You Don’t Know What You’re Doing” and “Same Old {insert here], Always Cheating” regularly ringing round the Shed. I’ve often thought that there’s been a bit of self-parody about the noises coming from the denizens of the Shed – almost like they’re trying a little too hard to live up to their reputation, whatever they perceive that to be.  

Visiting sides always expect a bit of “treatment” at Kingsholm but Friday was worse than usual, with every decision against Gloucester greeted with loud boos, every touch or kick by Owen accompanied by catcalls, abuse and attempted distraction (which never works – remember the 2016 Champions Cup final?), The irony of the “Respect The Kicker” message flashed up on the screen amid mayhem every time a Sarries penalty was about to be taken wasn’t lost on me.

Karl Dickson – who always seems to relish what he seems to see as the spotlight (what's the old saying about the best refs never being noticed?) and is certainly not my favourite match official (as those who collate the End of Season Poll on this site will know) - was regularly, erm, advised of his perceived lack of competence

I was delighted to see the Sarries players go over to the Shed after the final whistle and appplaud the spectators who'd given them such a hard time all eveniing - irony, class and magnanimity, or, as I'd like to think, a bit of both?

Afterwards, back in Teagues Bar, the Gloucester fans were by contrast friendly, gracious and,  apart from one chap who kept insisting on coming over to show me the string of furious posts as they popped up on the club’s fan forum and demanding to know what I thought, perfectly happy to have Sarries fans drinking amongst and indeed with them: I’ve had this paradoxical experience before.....and always like to think that is the real Gloucester Rugby. 

The aftermath of the game has, for me, been slightly unsettling, with so many on social media baying for Owen, who was later cited for dangerous play, to have the book thrown at him – it’s fair to say that Owen’s tackling can be “off” to put it mildly and for me redolent of his young days in Rugby League (although he hasn’t played that sport since he was 14)  but to suggest as a few people have, that “he cheats every time he plays”, or that he would ever intentionally seek to put an opponent in danger is frankly ludicrous.

The above in the minds of some has, bizarrely, become connected the salary cap issues of over three years ago so a lot of that has been dragged up yet again!

Watching the recording of the match when I got home on the Saturday, I was shocked by the match commentary, if it can be called that, provided by Lawrence Dallaglio who if he doesn’t dislike Saracens to a slightly unhinged degree does a damned good impersonation of it. I’m sure I saw the veins standing out on his temples standing out as he ranted at the injustice of it all. He was the same at the Exeter game.     

I’ve no idea if BT Sport ever pick up on such matters, but I’d like to think – and I’m being a bit naïve here perhaps – that somebody might remind Lawrence of the meaning of the word "impartial".