Keith Richardson report: Morgan motored, now show it again
BEN Morgan hit the kind of barnstorming ball-carrying form that Gloucester signed him for against London Irish.
That powerful, consistent line-breaking ability will be required all over again at Worcester tomorrow.
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Ben Morgan
The new Cherry and Whites number eight looks like he has quickly realised that, in the Premiership, there's no time to sit back and wait for the action or the opportunities to come to you.
Gloucester's marauders have got to go looking for the ball, and seek out those chances to run at and, hopefully, terrorise defenders.
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If that try and performance last week has ignited Morgan's explosive potential, let's hope we can look forward to many more surging runs with ball in hand.
The men from Kingsholm gained a lot of joy out of the much-underused blindside against Irish.
It is a ploy that they would do well to continue, as it can be very hard to defend the short-side once the game slips into broken play.
One pass can often be enough for a score – just as we saw with Dave Lewis setting James Simpson-Daniel away at the Madejski – and the mere threat of exposing the blindside keeps opposition defences interested.
Patience and timing can be crucial, but get it right and it is devastatingly simple.
Obduracy is another vital trait on the road, and Gloucester exhibited that in spades last weekend.
The ability to keep on coming back from behind is always required on the road.
Almost all the sides in the Premiership will be expecting to win the majority of their home encounters.
Whether that happens or not is another matter, but the intent and desire is there, and no side likes to slip up on home ground.
Gloucester will need the same ability to stay calm and composed if – and probably when – they slip behind at points in tomorrow's clash with the Warriors.
It will be a bruising encounter at Sixways, and whatever happens Gloucester must keep heads up and retain tunnel vision on their game strategy.
All regular Premiership sides have the necessary skills to win matches – attitude and that tunnel vision set the best teams apart, and can often be the defining factors in victory.
That rarest of all commodities – a win away from home – was ground out in stubborn fashion, and must give Nigel Davies' men great confidence.
Last week Gloucester restored belief in their potential: now they must harness it.
Comments
by alex_bound
Friday, September 14 2012, 8:40AM
“I think it is the same with all the new players and, to a lessor extent, some of the existing players. They are having to adapt to each other, the new coaching set-up and the game plan. But there are sihns of it all coming together.”
by walker1105
Friday, September 14 2012, 6:39AM
“I'm still waiting to see more of the talent that made Gloucester chase him down for a deal.”