Gloucester Rugby endured a tough night at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, succumbing to a 45-14 defeat against Leicester Tigers in Round Seven of the Gallagher Premiership. Leicester’s dominance was reflected in their seven tries, scored by James Thompson, Solomone Kata, Tom Whiteley, Tommy Reffell, Billy Searle, Ollie Chessum, and a controversial penalty try awarded just before half-time following a yellow card to Gloucester’s Charlie Atkinson.
Fly-half Billy Searle contributed three conversions, with replacement Orlando Bailey adding two more to help Leicester draw level with Bath at the top of the table.
For Gloucester, tries from Josh Hathaway and Jack Clement in the second half provided some respite, both converted by Ross Byrne. However, these came after Leicester had already built a commanding 31-0 lead—21 points of which were scored during Atkinson’s time in the sin bin.
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A rare blemish for Leicester was a 20-minute red card for replacement hooker Charlie Clare, handed for a dangerous clear-out on Clement.
South West rugby writer John Evely reviews the individual performances from Gloucester’s squad:
15 Charlie Atkinson – 6
Atkinson was Gloucester’s brightest spark, showcasing excellent handling skills and creating space for Hathaway’s try with a clever offload. However, his yellow card for a tackle on Hassell-Collins while on the ground, although debatable, led to a penalty try and gave Leicester a foothold.
14 Rob Russell – 5
Russell started brightly but was forced off with an injury, hindering Gloucester’s backline momentum.
13 Will Butler – 4
A costly error from Butler saw a promising try-scoring opportunity squandered when his pass to Ollie Thorley went into touch.
12 Seb Atkinson – 5
The England international showed direct running lines but was consistently outplayed by Solomone Kata, the match’s standout player. He failed a head injury assessment late in the game.
11 Ollie Thorley – 4
Thorley nearly scored but was held up just short of the line. His choice to cut inside rather than go wide may have cost Gloucester a try.
10 Ross Byrne – 4
Byrne struggled to sync with teammates, causing Gloucester’s attack to stall repeatedly. While reliable with the boot, he made an ill-advised decision by kicking the ball dead from a penalty in the scrum.
9 Tomos Williams – 4
Williams had a notably poor outing, marred by defensive lapses and poor decision-making. His disconnection with the team was evident, marking a low point in his final season before leaving the club.
1 Val Rapava Ruskin – 5
Returning from injury, Rapava Ruskin battled valiantly in a scrappy forward contest, reflecting both promise and rustiness.
2 Seb Blake – N/A
Blake exited early due to a hand injury, limiting his contribution.
3 Nepo Laulala – 4
Back from suspension, Laulala engaged in a fierce scrum battle but was replaced as Gloucester eventually gained ground up front. Showed some sharp passing.
4 Freddie Thomas – 5
Thomas had moments of impact but was part of a forward unit that struggled with handling errors.
5 Arthur Clark – 5
Clark displayed physicality and a strong defensive presence but was overpowered collectively by Leicester’s pack.
6 Josh Basham – 4
Basham was overpowered near the try line and missed a critical line-break chance.
7 Lewis Ludlow – 5
Ludlow was exposed defensively on several occasions, allowing Leicester’s backs to make line breaks.
8 Jack Clement – 6
Clement was a standout in the back row, scoring a try from a well-executed maul and showing impressive work rate. He was the victim of Clare’s dangerous clear-out.
Replacements:
Jack Innard (5), Jamal Ford-Robinson (5), Afo Fasogbon (7), Cam Jordan (5), Harry Taylor (6), Mikey Austin (5), Will Knight (5), Josh Hathaway (6)
Overall, Gloucester’s performance was disjointed, lacking cohesion and intensity, resulting in a heavy defeat that raises questions ahead of challenging fixtures to come.