Gloucester Rugby have to harness the hurt and frustration - Carl Hogg
CARL Hogg has challenged Gloucester to exploit West Country derby demolition as the greatest incentive to safeguard their season.
The Cherry and Whites take on Northampton Saints at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm), as they return to Premiership action.
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rEDEMPTION: Assistant coach Carl Hogg has called on Gloucester to avenge their Bath defeat at Northampton
Nonplussed by Gloucester's five-try defeat to Bath at the weekend, forwards coach Hogg admitted the Kingsholm men must improve across every area in order to pull off a result in the East Midlands.
Former Scotland back-rower Hogg knows full well that Gloucester are running out of time to tie all the strands of their game together if they to realise their league play-off ambitions.
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Sixth-placed Gloucester are just one point behind Northampton in fifth, and two behind Wasps in fourth.
Nigel Davies' men might be poised to strike for a top-four berth, but at no point this season have they mastered their attempts to produce a rounded approach.
And Hogg believes that dismal derby disappointment could just prove the catalyst this weekend.
He said: "We've just got to use this as motivation now.
"We've got to harness the hurt and frustration and make sure we channel it into producing a result that can get us moving in the right direction again.
"The main factor is the amount of penalties we conceded and we need to cut that down.
"We've got to learn the lessons, we've got to move fast, emotionally and mentally.
"It's a huge game this week now, and we've got to turn it all round.
"It's our biggest challenge now. Everyone needs to realise that, everyone does realise that, so it's time to make it count."
Winning at Northampton is among the toughest challenges in the Premiership under any circumstances.
Throw in the Bath hammering fallout, and Gloucester's task multiplies considerably, but in Hogg's eyes, it will only intensify if they let it.
He said: "This was going to be a massive game whatever the situation, whether we went up there with a victory over Bath or not.
"So while we do have plenty to work on and deal with, what we won't do is make any huge changes, or start to tinker with things.
"Generally overall we're in a decent enough situation where the league is concerned.
"Clearly that does not take into account the defeat to Bath, but we have to remember that it's not all doom and gloom.
"We've got an immediate opportunity to redeem ourselves, and that's exactly what we intend to do."
9 Comments
by Gambonie
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:35PM
“We need to get Harden back playing for Gloucester as a matter of urgency. We don't want to be going up against Saints with a weakened scrum.”
by Conrad_Selby
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:28PM
“Harden proved on the weekend, yet again, why he is the number one tight head at Gloucester and why the troll autotroll is clueless about any aspect of rugby union.”
by JimBatchelor
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:25PM
“When your tight head starts 9 out of 13 Premiership games, you just know that he is the best at Gloucester Rugby. That player is Rupert Harden!”
by CamCampbell
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:23PM
“Rupert Harden... Most starts at tight head.... Most starts of any front row player. That proves he is the top rated tight head at Gloucester.”
by Buggsie
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:16PM
“The troll autotroll with his multitude of identities simply can not get over the fact that Rupert Harden is the best tight head at Gloucester. But who cares what the troll autotroll thinks? Nigel Davies has an infinitely superior rugby brain to the troll autotroll (though the troll autotroll will, hilariously, claim differently) and ND has made Harden his number 1 tight head.”
by Straw90
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:11PM
“Rupert Harden is the top rated and best tight head prop at Gloucester bar none.”
by walker1105
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:10PM
“Let's hope that our best tight-head RUPERT HARDEN is back for the Saints' game.”
by seanbulling
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:04PM
“We can well do without our scrum disastrously folding as it did in that last scrum against Sarries. That is why we need Rupert out on the field in the game against Saints.”
by RoryGlaws
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:02PM
“Without an once of a doubt, Rupert Harden, our first choice tight head, is the best number 3 at Gloucester Rugby.”
by rayglaws
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 6:49PM
“Well, with the Saints game coming up on the weekend, thank goodness our best and most talented tight head, Rupert Harden is back to bolster the scrum and prevent that from being mullered as it has been recently whilst he has been out injured. We certainly need him fit and available to start going forward.”