Resurgent Gloucester beat Quins for first win

The Prem.

Gloucester (14) 26

Cons: Byrne 3; Tries: Redshaw 2, Ludlow, and Thorley

Harlequins (12) 15

With a stunning 26-15 Prem victory over a failing Harlequins at Kingsholm, Lowly Gloucester won their first league game of the year.

The away team opened the scoring with Cadan Murley, but Gloucester added another level with Ben Redshaw’s outstanding solo effort.

Before Lewis Ludlow scored a try in his 250th game for the Cherry and Whites, Alex Dombrandt restored Quins’ lead from close range.

After a disappointing start to the season, Gloucester was desperate to reclaim the title, just like Quins.

After Dombrandt had come within inches of scoring a few phases earlier, Murley simply needed to gather Evans’ looped pass and walk over the line.

But Gloucester quickly responded.

Redshaw outpaced four Quins defenders in midfield from very little before sidestepping the final man for an outstanding try in response.

Quins were soon over again, an indication of the back-and-forth nature of the first half.

Dombrandt was credited with saving the hosts’ defense after a rolling maul in the Gloucester 22.

Before the break, Quins had a chance to take their own limited opportunities, something Gloucester could not be. They wasted a number of first-half chances to the growing frustration of the home crowd.

However, Quins conceded a try that was hardly credible just before half-time.

Isgro only had to gather the ball and squander it into touch when Gloucester kicks it aimlessly forward.

Before Gloucester took control of the game, Isgro had the advantage of being spared a yellow card for a deliberate knock on before the game was over.

The home team marched up to the Quins line after Thorley’s break in midfield, and Redshaw was unharmed when Ross Byrne’s bullet pass fell to him in the corner.

Then Gloucester struck once more.

The ball was passed through Tomos Williams, Byrne, and Redshaw in a flawless set-piece move before being intercepted by Thorley, who knocked off a defender for the home team’s bonus point.

Marcus Smith’s late break provided Quins with a fantastic opportunity to cut the deficit, but Gloucester’s scrambled defense prevented the visitors from adding any more points.

Rugby director for Gloucester, George Skivington, stated to BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

“We had a great month, and we worked really hard, and I’m just really proud of the guys and the staff.” We’ve made an effort to upend our game, and we think the young men are doing a great job today.

We would have won the first game, but I believed we deserved it at the conclusion.

Replacements: Freeman-Price, Rapava Ruskin, Fasogbon, Jordan, Basham, Austin, C. Atkinson, and Cotgreave.

Anderson, Isgro, Beard, Evans, Murley, Smith, Porter, Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Lewies, Treadwell, Cunningham-South, Evans, Dombrandt (c) are the Harlequins.

Replacements: Friday, Northmore, David, Wenger, Delgado, Petti, Kenningham, Turner, Wenger, Delgado, Delgado, and David.