Glaws must avoid the yellow peril

Gloucester’s steady progress up the Premiership table is under a serious threat ... from themselves. Down to 14 men for more than half a game over the last few matches, Glaws know that they need to get their discipline right if they are to maintain that progress, and they could with starting to get it right at home to Leicester this weekend.

The Tigers have never been known to take prisoners, and they will put Gloucester’s fourth-top spot under as much pressure as any team will at Kingsholm this season.
And it’s when they are under pressure that Glaws tend to crack and see those yellow cards.
Paul Doran-Jones and Nick Wood were both in the bin during the second half of last weekend’s win over Harlequins, Mike Tindall and Peter Buxton were yellow-carded in Agen, Jim Hamilton was in trouble in the victory at Bath and Brett Deacon was sin-binned against Wasps.
Four games, and a total of an hour without key players – not the record of trophy-winners.
Glaws admit the solution to the problem is in their own hands and in the build-up to the game against his former club, Deacon has told the Citizen: “I know as well as anyone that we've got to cut that out as a team.
"Guys will always try to goad you into yellow cards, so you've just got to keep cool on that front, but also at the breakdown too.
"When we're on our game we cause problems, but when we slip up in the discipline stakes, we just cause problems for ourselves."
Toby Flood kicked Leicester to a rain-soaked 21-15 win over Bath last weekend that put them level on points with Glaws, and as usual they can be expected to be one of the less meek visitors to Kingsholm this season.
Glaws will need to be at the top of their game, and should need no more incentive than the fact that if they win, they could move up to third place – but only if Saracens lose at home to Exeter.
With the international season coming up, Glaws will be losing players left, right and centre over the next few weeks, and as usual it’s going to be a real test of the club’s strength in depth.
Glaws played some great attacking rugby against Quins, particularly in the first half, and if they can earn themselves the right to play like that against Tigers, anything could happen.
As long as they avoid those yellows.