There is always a certain style about Biarritz, who were flown in from France on a private plane and had the great Serge Blanco bustling around their changing room fulfilling his role of patron and spokesman.
This, though, was Gloucester’s day. Although the pitch was muddy and wet Gloucester ran the ball at almost every opportunity. The one time they did not was when they were awarded a penalty with the score at 16-3 and chose to kick at goal. The kick was missed by Nicky Robinson, his only failure from two conversions and four penalty attempts.
From the third minute to Tim Molenaar’s try in the 66th, Gloucester played better than they have done for some time. “It is not nice to lose,” Ayoola Erinle, the England and Biarritz centre, said. “We got nothing out of the game. We have a home game next to put things right. A home quarter-final in this competition is massive. We can do it if we keep our heads.”
Scorers: Gloucester: Tries: Vainikolo (20min), Molenaar (66). Conversions: Robinson 2. Penalty goals: Robinson 3 (9, 34, 45). Biarritz: Try: Harinordoquy (75). Penalty goal: Courrent (26).
Scoring sequence: (Gloucester first): 3-0, 10-0, 10-3, 13-3 (half-time), 16-3, 23-3, 23-8.
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Gloucester: O Morgan; J Simpson-Daniel, T Molenaar (rep: T Voyce, 67), E Fuimaono-Sapolu (rep: F Burns, 77), L Vainikolo; N Robinson, R Lawson; A Dickinson (rep: N Wood, 67), S Lawson, G Somerville, D Attwood (rep: A Eustace, 76), A Brown, A Strokosch (rep: L Narraway, 35), A Qera, G Delve.
Biarritz: P Couet-Lannes; T Ngwenya, A Mignardi, A Erinle, I Bolakoro; V Courrent (rep: L Tranier, 67), Y Lesgourgues; E Coetzee, R Terrain (rep: B August, 52), R Hugues (rep: M Moala, 49), J Thion, M Carizza (rep: T Hall, 54), M Lund, S Vahafolau (rep: F Alexandre, 63), I Harinordoquy.
Referee: G Clancy (Ireland).
Attendance: 10,103.