Something To Play For
Tindall
By Cherry Picker
April 11 2014
There's always something to play for when you take on Bath [Saturday 3.15] but all of a sudden this week's game has taken on a new importance thanks to the announcement of the new European Cups ..
Seventh place this season could bring huge benefits in terms of Euro qualification and we have four rounds left to secure our part in the exciting new competition.
This is how:
European Rugby Champions Cup qualification:
- 20 clubs qualifying through the finishing positions in their leagues from the preceding season:
- top 6 from TOP 14
- top 6 from Premiership Rugby
- top 7 from PRO 12, with at least one club from each country participating in the league
- the 20th place will be taken by the winner of a play off between:
For the 1st season:
The 7th highest finishing club from TOP 14 and the 7th highest finishing club from Premiership Rugby. This play off will be played in May 2014, either as one match (in which case, there will be a draw for home advantage) or as home/away.
So a bonus point win against Bath would do very nicely and it is certainly achieveable in what is already a sell out Kingsholm crowd.
What is for certain is that we will have to produce more commitment than we did in the first half at Wasps last week - and there are four changes as a result of that game.
Hudson and Morgan are replaced in the pack by Will James and Gareth Evans, with Tindall back at centre and Thomas at full back. Importantly the out of sorts Freddie Burns is on the bench with Twelvetrees partnering Jimmy Cowan at half back.
Bath make five changes with Kyle Eastmond at inside centre. In the pack Paul James and man of the moment David Wilson return in the front row.
Gloucs: Martyn Thomas, Charlie Sharples, Henry Trinder, Mike Tindall, Jonny May, Billy Twelvetrees (c), Jimmy Cowan, Nick Wood, Dan George, Shaun Knight, Elliott Stooke, Will James, Sione Kalamafoni, Matt Kvesic, Gareth Evans.
Reps: Huia Edmonds, Dan Murphy, Sila Puafisi, James Hudson, Ben Morgan, Tavis Knoyle, Freddie Burns, Rob Cook
Bath: Nick Abendanon, Semesa Rokoduguni, Matt Banahan, Kyle Eastmond, Horacio Agulla, George Ford, Micky Young, Paul James, Ross Batty, David Wilson, Stuart Hooper ( c ), Dave Attwood, Matt Garvey, Carl Fearns, Leroy Houston.
Reps: Tom Dunn, Nathan Catt, Anthony Perenise, Dominic Day, Guy Mercer, Peter Stringer, Gavin Henson, Anthony Watson