Reasons To Be Cheerful

Under normal circumstances a 55-10 defeat would give George Skivington a sizeable headache. However, there was plenty on offer from a youthful and vastly inexperienced Gloucester side to show that the future could , indeed, be bright.

Lyon fielded a powerful  side full of expeirnece and internationals from across the world. They are some outfit.

 By comparison, eight of our starting XV were making their tournament debut, with a number of  regulars missing including Jonny May, Ollie Thorley, Louis Rees-Zammit and Danny Cipriani.

But that gave an opportunity to others notably Hartpury loanee Seb Nagle-Taylor. The No. 8 has a massive future ahead of him and he was one of the stand-out players on the pitch.

He fully deserved our only try - seizing on a long line-out throw from hooker James Hanson.

England Under 20's fly half George Barton also came out of the big defeat with credit.

Ulster up next at Kingsholm - if we want to prgress throigh these pool stages we need to get our "stars" back  and get a win. Nagle -Taylor and Barton both deserve to figure in the squad - specially as rumour has it that Cipriani may be away before the end of his contract - Saturday kick off 3.15.

Lyon: Arnold; Mignot, Barassi, Ngatai, Nakaitaci; Wisniewski, Couilloud; Chiocci, Ivaldi, Ric, Lambey, Rodda, Goujon, Cretin, Bastareaud

Reps: Maurouard, Chaume, Devisme, Geraci, Fainga'a, Doussain, Berdeu, Regard

Tries: Mignot 3, Nakaitaci, Rodda, Bastareaud, Ngatai, Cretin; Cons: Wisniewski 5, Berdeu; Pen: Wisniewski.

Gloucester: Moyle; Morris, Trinder, Seabrook, Morgan; Barton, Varney; Ford-Robinson, Hanson, Knight, Atkins, Gibson, Clement, Ludlow, Nagle-Taylor

Reps: Gleave, Saville, Tyack, Craig, Gray, Thomas, Chapman, Sharples.

Try: Nagle-Taylor; Con: Barton; Pen: Barton