Gloucester Rugby: Victory in France but Davies admits citing for alleged gouging on Andy Hazell

MONT DE MARSAN 6 GLOUCESTER 11

NIGEL Davies admitted Gloucester will cite Mont de Marsan for players from the French Top 14 club allegedly gouging flanker Andy Hazell.

Enraged Hazell unleashed a torrent of punches that led to a 55th-minute red card at Stade Guy Boniface tonight – but Gloucester still held out for an 11-6 Amlin Challenge Cup victory.

Fellow flanker Matt Cox was sin-binned for his reaction to extreme provocation.

But the Cherry and Whites were able to ride out the second-half storm, and return from France with a victory in their opening European clash.

Cherry and Whites boss Davies confirmed Gloucester will seek sanction for what they feel are illegall actions carried out against Hazell.

Gloucester’s rugby director explained: “We’ll speak to the citing commissioner and there will be something done there.

“We can’t condone what was done from a Gloucester view, but that was a reaction to what went on before.

“We’ll take our punishment but I think they need to take their punishment too.

“We’ll look at the video and from what I’ve seen already I’m sure we will make a complaint.

“The doctor’s had a look at Andy’s eye, it was severely sore and very red.

“And we took some pictures of that, because that was damning evidence in its own right.

“He’s disappointed with himself, but I think there were three incidents before that with the same player, and he’s caught him off the ball again, and unfortunately Andy snapped.

“At least we came through with a result though, and we adapted very well.”

Despite leaving a host of chances out on the field in the first half, Gloucester were always in control – until Hazell lost his cool.

Tim Taylor missed two penalties attempts in a sodden first quarter, before Gloucester finally broke the deadlock through Ian Clark.

With Stade Montois lock Scott Murray sin-binned, 20-year-old speedster Clark romped home after a smart break from scrum-half Dave Lewis, who impressed on his first start of the season.

Gloucester led 5-0 at the break but really ought to have been almost out of sight.

Ephraim Taukafa was sin-binned at the start of the second half, with Taylor quickly adding a penalty to make Gloucester’s lead 8-0.

Jean-Baptiste Claverie landed a penalty to cut the arrears – but then came Hazell’s discipline implosion.

Billy Twelvetrees slotted a penalty to restore Gloucester’s eight-point lead.

But denuded of two men for ten minutes, and then one for the final quarter, Gloucester were always up against it.

This was a soaked night for the big brutes though, and Sione Kalamafoni was exceptional in his ball-carrying, with Gloucester’s front five giving everything to the cause.

Claverie landed a penalty to make the last four minutes tetchy in the extreme.

But Davies’ men held on.

Despite the unsavoury sideshow, this is an impressive victory given the circumstance.

SCORERS:

MONT DE MARSAN: Pens: Claverie 2 (54, 76)

GLOUCESTER: Tries: Clark (29) Pens: Taylor (52), Twelvetrees (61).

YELLOW CARDS:

MONT DE MARSAN: Murray (28), Taukafa (50)

GLOUCESTER: Cox (55)

RED CARDS:

GLOUCESTER: Hazell (55)

MONT DE MARSAN: J B Claverie, J Beaulavon, C Baegert, T Mchedlidze (Y Durquet, 39), J B Dubie, A Douvesy (T Duvallet, 53), J Cabannes (capt) (L Magnaval, 62), P Correia (M Phelipponeau, 49), T Bordes (E Taukafa, 49), M Giudicelli (S Ormaechea, 49), S Murray, V Liebenberg (E Dos Santos, 77), Y Brethous, S De Chaves (V Farre, 62), A Lescure. Replacements:.

GLOUCESTER: M Thomas, C Sharples, T Molenaar (H Trinder, 64), M Tindall (capt), I Clark, T Taylor (B Twelvetrees, 53), D Lewis (J Cowan, 53), Y Thomas (N Wood, 56), K Britton (v, 71), S Knight (D Chistolini, 71), P Buxton (E Stooke, 73), W James, M Cox (G Evans, 73), A Hazell, S Kalamafoni.

REFEREE: Neil Hennessy (Wales).