The shed faithful will be bitterly disappointed at their sides’ inability to put the phases together in the face of a ferocious Munster defensive effort. The quality of service to Ryan Lamb was poor, the Munster men were all over them at the ruck and the forward pack couldn’t control the tight phases.

It has been said of late in the press that Gloucester doesn’t have the traditional, gnarled, monstrous pack of old. That sounds like fighting talk, I’m steering clear!

And what of their Premiership form? A loss to a resurgent Worcester Warriors at Sixways, thanks to a last-gasp try from former Gloucester man Thinus Delport, yielded only a losing bonus point a fortnight ago. Another loss on the road to Sale a week before has loosened their grip on 1^st place to just a point.

Things are tight at the top; just 9 points separate the top 6 teams in the northern hemispheres premier domestic competition. With just four rounds of left (for those sides that didn’t dodge the 6N playing weekends – Yes Waspies I’m looking squarely at you - cowards!) the pressure is mounting.

It’s a massive task for Sarries. Only Leicester have come away with a win in the Premiership at Kingsholm this season. To win, Sarries will need to maintain the high intensity game which blew The Ospreys off the park last weekend, if they can do that then there is a chance that they could qualify for the end of season play-offs. If they don’t, it will be fodder for the likes of Barnes and Morris who are waiting in the wings to come down on ‘underachieving’ Sarries. That in itself might be motivation enough.

Teams

Gloucester – Walker, Balshaw, Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Big Les, Lamb, Lawson, Wood, Titterell, Nieto, Bortolami, Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Narraway

Saracens  – Scarbrough, Haughton, Sorrell, Powell, Ratuvou, Jackson, De Kock, Aguera, Cairns, Visagie, Vyvyan, Ryder, Chesney, Barrell, Skirving.

Reps – Ongaro, Johnston, Fullarton, Seymour, Rauluni, Ross, Penney

Facts and Figures from the RFU website – www.rfu.com –

History -

 ·        Gloucester and Saracens have met 25 times in league rugby since 1995.

·        Gloucester have won 15 and Saracens 10.

·        They have met 12 times at Kingsholm and Gloucester have won 11.

·        Saracens only victory at Gloucester came in April 2005 when they won by a single point.

·        Gloucester won 38-31 at Vicarage Road in September 2007. 

Trends and Trivia 

·        Although still top of the Guinness Premiership, Gloucester are not in the best of form at the moment and they have only won 2 of their last 8 matches in all competitions.

·        They have won 2 out of their last 7 Premiership matches and lost the last 2. They have not lost 3 consecutive matches this season. The last time they lost at least 3 Premiership matches in succession was between February and April 2006 when they lost to Bath, Northampton, Bristol and Sale.

·        Gloucester have lost 7 matches in the Premiership this season and gained a losing bonus point from each defeat.

·        Only Sale have conceded fewer points at home this season than the 115 by Gloucester.

·        Gloucester are the only team in the Premiership to have scored 50 tries this season.

·        They have scored 21 at home and 29 away from home.

·        Saracens are the only other team to have scored 20 tries away from home this season.

·        Gloucester have only had 8 penalties scored against them in their 8 home matches this season, by far the fewest in the competition.

·        Ryan Lamb has scored 101 points for Gloucester this season and Willie Walker 77. Lesley Vainikolo has scored 8 tries.

·        Saracens have only won 2 of their last 6 matches in the Guinness Premiership.

·        Their 66-7 win in their last match against Leeds was their biggest ever win in the Premiership beating the 58-12 win at Sale in October 1999.

·        Saracens have now scored the most points in the Guinness Premiership this season with 443. Gloucester are second with 440.

·        Saracens and Gloucester are the 2 highest try scorers in the Premiership this season with 45 and 50 respectively.

·        Saracens have conceded 35 tries this season to Gloucester’s 34.

·        Only the Leicester pack have scored more tries this season than the 14 by the Saracens’ 8.

·        Glen Jackson, as he did at the end of last season, tops the Guinness Premiership points scoring with 168. Gordon Ross has scored 60. Brent Russell and Adam Powell have both scored 5 tries.

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