Gloucester Rugby’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the PREM Rugby Cup were dashed as they suffered a 38-26 defeat to West Country rivals Bath Rugby at the Recreation Ground.
The Cherry and Whites came out with energy but struggled to convert their chances. Bath led 19-7 at halftime, with Ben Redshaw scoring early for the visitors. Gloucester’s tries came from Tom Carr-Smith, Kepu Tuipulotu, and Will Muir.
Bath struck immediately after the break through Carr-Smith, putting Gloucester on the back foot. However, the hosts responded with swift tries from Ollie Thorley and Max Knight. Bath then sealed their victory with tries from Ethan Staddon and Max Ojomoh, quashing Gloucester’s comeback hopes despite a late bonus-point try from Deian Gwynne.
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Gloucester now face a two-week break before the Gallagher Premiership resumes, when they travel to face Harlequins.
Rugby writer Sam Jess assesses individual performances from the Gloucester players:
15 Ben Redshaw – 6
Coming off a double try performance last week, Redshaw struggled with the kicking duel and dropped a crucial ball near the line. He improved later, delivering a precise pass for Thorley’s try but faltered again by losing a loose ball that led to Bath’s fifth try.
14 Will Joseph – 5
Returning from a long injury layoff, Joseph had a quiet outing with limited involvement and was challenged in aerial battles, notably against Will Muir.
13 Josiah Edwards Giraud – 6
In his preferred centre role, Giraud was mixed; after an early dropped ball, he nearly set up a try with a charge down. Defensively, he was caught out allowing Bath’s Will Butt to score the opener.
12 Seb Atkinson – 6
Fresh off England camp, Atkinson had moments of skill but also lapses in defence before being substituted at 56 minutes, possibly eyeing national duties in Rome next week.
11 Ollie Thorley – 6
The winger had few opportunities and occasionally confused play by running sideways, while struggling in the air against Bath’s Cokanasiga. He redeemed himself with a well-timed try after a strong team move.
10 Charlie Atkinson – 8
The fly-half impressed with sharp attacking instincts and crucial clean-up plays. His inside pass kicked off Gloucester’s scoring, though his kicking was occasionally erratic, allowing Bath counter-attacks.
9 Caolan Englefield – 6
Energetic around the park and instrumental in keeping Gloucester on the front foot, but a charged-down kick shifted momentum back to Bath at a key moment.
1 Ciaran Knight – 6
Delivered solid scrum work, doing his part upfront.
2 Seb Blake – 6
Recovered well from an early lineout error to make key lineout steals and showcased attacking skill with a line break and offload, though early throws remained inconsistent.
3 Afo Fasogbon – 7
A workhorse in the scrum who had a quiet first half but sparked Gloucester late with a strong carry and offload leading to a try.
4 Arthur Clark – 5
A mixed performance; held up just short of scoring and later fumbling possession, though he made a strong charge later in the game.
5 Matias Alemanno – 8
Stood out by stealing multiple Bath lineouts and turning over possession to initiate attacks.
6 Deian Gwynne – 7
Quiet throughout but finished strongly with a late try from a maul.
7 Lewis Ludlow – 6
Consistent defensive effort but struggled with some lineout throws for Gloucester.
8 Will Trenholm – 6
A steady game with reliable carries and offloads.
Replacements:
16 Jack Innard – 6
17 Dian Bleuler – 6
18 Nepo Laulala – 6
19 Danny Eite – 6
20 Josh Basham – 6
21 Rhys Price – N/A
22 Max Knight – 7
Came off the bench to score and briefly reduce Bath’s lead.
23 George Barton – 6