Gloucester Rugby finally broke their Gallagher Premiership duck on Saturday, securing a hard-fought 26-15 win over Harlequins at Kingsholm Stadium. This marked their first league victory of the season after five earlier attempts.
The spotlight was shared by full-back Ben Redshaw, who scored two outstanding tries, as well as flanker Lewis Ludlow and winger Ollie Thorley, who both celebrated milestone appearances with tries. Fly-half Ross Byrne contributed significantly with three successful conversions, helping Gloucester claim a crucial bonus-point win.
Harlequins, led by skipper Alex Dombrandt and wing Cadan Murley, kept the score close early on. Yet, England star Marcus Smith struggled to make an impact, managing only a conversion and a penalty. After leading 12-10 at halftime, Quins faltered in the second half due to handling errors and missed opportunities.
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Gloucester took command early, dominating possession and territory. Murley opened the scoring for Harlequins, but Redshaw quickly responded with a brilliant solo try, weaving past multiple defenders. Despite an injury setback for Quins' tighthead prop Titi Lamositele, they regrouped, taking a brief lead through Dombrandt’s milestone 50th Premiership try.
The game’s turning point arrived when Quins wing Rodrigo Isgro mishandled a bouncing ball inside his own 22, gifting Ludlow an easy try on his 250th Gloucester appearance. Byrne’s conversion put Gloucester ahead at halftime.
The third quarter remained tight until Redshaw extended Gloucester’s lead with his second try, followed by Byrne’s precise conversion. Harlequins narrowed the gap with a penalty from Smith, but Thorley’s commanding try on his 150th game sealed the deal for Gloucester. Despite a late push from Quins, Gloucester’s defense held firm to preserve the win and launch their Premiership campaign with confidence.
Gloucester Rugby: 15 Ben Redshaw, 14 Rob Russell, 13 Will Joseph, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Tomos Williams (c); 1 Ciaran Knight, 2 Seb Blake, 3 Kirill Gotovtsev, 4 Freddie Thomas, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Deian Gwynne, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Will Trenholm. Replacements: 16 Kealan Freeman-Price, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Afo Fasogbon, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Josh Basham, 21 Mikey Austin, 22 Charlie Atkinson, 23 Jack Cotgreave.
Harlequins: 15 Cameron Anderson, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Jarrod Evans, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Will Porter; 1 Fin Baxter, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Titi Lamositele, 4 Stephan Lewies, 5 Kieran Treadwell, 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Will Evans, 8 Alex Dombrandt (c). Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Pedro Delgado, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Jack Kenningham, 21 Lucas Friday, 22 Luke Northmore, 23 Nick David.
Match officials included referee Luke Pearce, assistant referees Jamie Parr and Jonathan Healy, with Craig Maxwell Keys operating as the TMO.