ZP Preview: LBND v. the Shed
Wherfore art thou?
By Sparkie
January 3 2003
If ever there was a Championship team in the making, Gloucester is it. Since Nigel Melville was allowed to take Major Tom's shilling, only four teams have beaten the Cherry and Whites: our good selves, Leicester, Perpignan (Heineken Cup) and Northampton.
Bath did manage a home draw but all others have been dispatched ***even on the road*** ! That said, Wasps have always been a thorn in Gloucester's side. Of the recent results listed below, we have managed to beat them twice.
Put this down to our home form against them (14 straight wins in the league) and some bits and pieces -- Gloucester's hitherto infamous lack of form away from Kingsholm plus their indiscipline. And before the Grimsters get going, our discipline against them is nothing to write home about either... Gloucester's most successful scorer against Wasps is a certain Mr. Penalty Try.
Recent comings and goings only serve to spice up the occasion. Darren Molloy now cuts a different figure in a stripey red jersey. Not of his choosing I would hasten to add. This turn of events was set in motion by last season's managerial merry-go-round. Mauler's loan to Glaws places him on their bench instead of ours. If we haven't recalled him due to injuries to Craig Dowd and Andy Kershaw, Saturday's match will test his professional resolve.
Look further down the bench and you will see Deano Ryan standing beside Mellie. The ex-Wasp is now forwards coach after spells with Bris and Judas's mob - it's a funny old game - and he's developed a fiercesome pack led by the Raging Bull.
On the park is the fourth ex-Wasp, Andy Gomarsall. Gomars has found his feet at Glaws after Wasps under Mellie sent him to exile in Bedford. Our former international scrumhalf found it difficult to recover from a back injury in 1998. After one of his comeback matches against Gloucester United at Sudbury, he wandered upstairs to watch our dour tussle with Glaws live on Skew TV. As Kinno towered over him at the bar (where else?), Wasps contrived a late, late killer blow to nick the game 13-12 (Will Green's screensaver). He's come a long way since then.
Also in the bar were two of Glaws United's coaches. One of them was hinting at Philis's continuing travails at Castle Grim. He was on his way out too, apparently. Little did we know back then, but Greening has also come a long way since then (he should be back on Saturday too).
And on the pitch, LBND was showing what he thought of the Shedheads. If his gesture was beyond the pale, the cameras caught very little of it. Let bygones be bygones... auld lang syne and all that.
Fast forward to December 2001. Mellie's under pressure and the Loft is frozen. Game off! St. André drags his boys back to Gloucester. Some lucky punters muse on what could/should have been in the bar as Mellie gets a training session going on the pitch.
Little did we know what would come to pass by the following April. Mellie watches from the South Africa Road stand before taking over at Gloucester. Handbags between Richard Todd and Paul Volley defuse the tension and they both take an early bath. 14-man Wasps take 14-man Glaws apart. It was tit for tat last season.
And so we look forward to Saturday. Gloucester should prove irresistible at home. I'm told that their form has dipped slightly of late. Something to do with the weather and the heavy pitches. We are back to our perverse best/worst and we don't like playing in the damp. We'd best look back to 3 October, 1998 and 10 February, 2001 for some inspiration, or the Shed will carry the day.
Gloucester's results under Mellie: Pl 25 W 20 D 1 L 4 (BTW: excludes 10 Apr 2002!)
2002-2003
28 Dec 2002 W 16-13 v. Northampton @ Franklin's Gdns
30 Nov 2002 W 25-20 v. London Irish @ Kingsholm
24 Nov 2002 W 28-10 v. Leeds Tykes @ Kingsholm
15 Nov 2002 L 15-20 v. Leicester @ Welford Rd
10 Nov 2002 W 40-19 v. London Irish @ Mad Stad
2 Nov 2002 W 18- 9 v. Northampton @ Kingsholm
26 Oct 2002 L 16-23 v. Wasps @ Adams Park
5 Oct 2002 W 44-14 v. Saracens @ Kingsholm
28 Sep 2002 D 21-21 v. Bath @ The Rec
21 Sep 2002 W 45-18 v. Bristol @ Kingsholm
15 Sep 2002 W 22-19 v. Newcastle @ Kingston Park
7 Sep 2002 W 44- 8 v. Sale @ Kingsholm
31 Aug 2002 W 25-19 v. Harlequins @ The Stoop
2001-2002
8 Jun 2002 ZCF W 28-23 v. Bristol @ Twickenham
2 Jun 2002 ZCSF W 33-11 v. Sale @ Heywood Road
18 May 2002 ZCQF W 60- 9 v. Newcastle @ Kingsholm
12 May 2002 W 50-17 v. Leeds Tykes @ Headingley
4 May 2002 W 68-12 v. Bath @ Kingsholm
21 Apr 2002 W 41-40 v. Bristol @ Mem Stad
13 Apr 2002 L 21-58 v. Northampton @ Franklin's Gardens
10 Apr 2002 L 9-44 v. Wasps @ Loftus Road
15 Sept, 2001 v. Leicester Tigers (18-40) Kingsholm was the last time Glaws were beaten at Kingsholm. Their record at Castle Grim since we beat them in 2001 is Pl. 19 W 18 L 1.
Wasps v. Gloucester 10 Apr 2002 44- 9 @ Loftus Road 23 Nov 2001 13-43 @ Kingsholm 29 Apr 2001 18- 6 @ Loftus Road 10 Feb 2001 28- 3 @ Kingsholm 17 Sep 2000 43-23 @ Loftus Road 22 Apr 2000 12-26 @ Kingsholm 26 Sep 1999 30-26 @ Loftus Road 27 Dec 1998 23- 9 @ Loftus Road 3 Oct 1998 13-12 @ Kingsholm 11 Mar 1998 15-22 @ Kingsholm 11 Jan 1998 26-20 @ Loftus Road 9 Mar 1997 36-10 @ Loftus Road 6 Oct 1996 23-28 @ Kingsholm 30 Mar 1996 21-10 @ Repton Ave 14 Oct 1995 26-15 @ Kingsholm 7 Jan 1995 21-16 @ Kingsholm 10 Sep 1994 45- 8 @ Repton Ave 8 Jan 1994 29-18 @ Repton Ave 11 Sep 1993 9- 9 @ Kingsholm 24 Oct 1992 14- 9 @ Repton Ave 18 Apr 1992 10-15 @ Kingsholm 20 Oct 1990 14- 9 @ Repton Ave 14 Oct 1989 29- 4 @ Repton Ave 8 Oct 1988 3-19 @ Kingsholm 13 Feb 1988 24-13 @ Kingsholm Other results this season: Powergen: Gloucester 36 Exeter 6 European Cup : P2 Perpignan v. Gloucester 31-23 Gloucester v. Perpignan 33-16 Viadana v. Gloucester 28-80 Gloucester v. Munster 35-16