Gloucester Rugby: Ruthless United wipe the floor with Worcester Cavaliers

WORCESTER CAVALIERS 0 GLOUCESTER UNITED 82

IRISH power monger Shane Monahan blasted four tries and impish speedster Ian Clark a hat-trick as Gloucester United dispatched hapless Worcester at Sixways.

The Cherry and Whites fielded a potent second string, and that strength told from start to finish.

Martyn Thomas plundered a brace of tries, while Andy Hazell, Drew Locke, Tim Molenaar, captain Pete Buxton and Rob Langley completed the rout.

Andrew Stanley’s side posted 14 tries in all, in a severe mismatch of an Aviva Premiership A League contest.

Triallists Tommaso D’Apice and Brad Field did their causes for contracts no harm, while replacement full-back Thomas showed up well.

Hazell and Buxton were clearly keen to prove a point after not making the Premiership starting side last weekend.

Monahan’s all-round display of power will also have raised impressed eyebrows among the Cherry and Whites coaches.

Speedster Clark was in at the left corner twice before the home side could blink.

First he profited from solid Gloucester approach play, then for his second try he stepped across the whitewash after a fine line-break from full-back Rob Cook.

Anything Clark could do, his wing partner Monahan was capable of matching though, and the Irishman promptly bagged a brace of his own.

Gloucester plundered a fine turnover, Koree Britton ploughed up to the line, and when the ball went wide former Rotherham man Monahan was there to finish off tidily.

Two minutes later evergreen flanker Andy Hazell put in a monstrous kick-chase hit, a real crowd-pleasing smack.

Cook broke well again, and from the next phase Monahan was over again in the right corner, this time with clever slide to nip home.

Gloucester completely demolished a Worcester scrum when a little bit of pressure was applied, the trio of Yann Thomas, Britton and Dario Chistolini working well.

Openside Hazell then profited from more pack dominance, as Gloucester powered a maul the length of the 22 from a lineout for a disciplined score.

Worcester were devoid of ideas by this point, and it was not long before Locke ran in Gloucester’s sixth and final try of the first half.

A scrappy opening to the second half was brought to an end when Pete Buxton forced a fine turnover, replacement hooker Tommaso D’Apice cut the line, and Taylor sent Monahan home for his hat-trick.

And after a series of strong pick-and-go drives off the back of a 22 lineout, Monahan barrelled over once again, for his fourth score of a prolific night.

Powerful Kiwi centre Molenaar got in on the act next, hitting a straight and true line to crash over for try number nine.

Worcester finally found some territory – but as soon as they threatened, they were turned over again.

Gareth Evans arced round a near non-existent backline, and straightened to feed replacement full-back Thomas, who ghosted home for a smart counter-attack try.

Clark then stepped home from a tap penalty to secure his hat-trick, after another good line-break from Thomas.

Thomas then promptly doubled his personal try tally, cutting another scything line to slide across the whitewash.

The most popular try of the night was reserved for the final exchanges, with skipper Buxton bullocking home after good work by Clark and Thomas.

It was not to be the last try of the night though, replacement back-rower Langley atoning for failing to give a scoring pass by crossing on the very next phase.

SCORERS:

GLOUCESTER UNITED: Tries: Clark 3 (6, 10, 70), Monahan 4 (10, 12, 49, 54), Hazell (27), Locke (34), Molenaar (61), Thomas 2 (66, 73), Buxton (78), Langley (80).

Cons: Taylor (3), Cook 5 (27, 49, 54, 61, 70).

GLOUCESTER UNITED: Rob Cook, Shane Monahan, Drew Locke, Tim Molenaar, Ian Clark, Tim Taylor, Brad Field, Yann Thomas, Koree Britton, Dario Chistolini, Will Graulich, Elliott Stooke, Pete Buxton (capt), Andy Hazell, Gareth Evans. Replacements (all used): Tommaso D’Apice, James Gibbons, Tom Heard, Ross Moriarty, Rob Langley, Reece Boughton, Gareth Knox, Martyn Thomas.

WORCESTER CAVALIERS: Joe Nellany, Ed Telwright, Max Stelling, Jack Wardle, Josh Watkins, Tom Carlisle, Ollie Frost, George Porter (capt), Anotonio Harris, Rob O’Donnell, Sam Herrington, Adam Peters, Nile Dacres, Eoin Cremond, Dan Young. Replacements (all used): Ryan Furniss, Jack Cosgrove, Ceri Jones, Ed Taylor, Adey Hall, Stephan Shillingford, George Eastwell, Richard Johnson, Jake Pratley.