Davies frustrated by huge setback

Editor

Gloucester director of rugby Nigel Davies lamented his team's inability to follow up success at Murrayfield by losing to Edinburgh.

Gloucester director of rugby Nigel Davies lamented his team's inability to follow up success at Murrayfield by losing to Edinburgh.

The Cherry and Whites were excellent up in Scotland last weekend but lost out to a spirited Edinburgh performance in the return fixture at Kingsholm, with Ben Atiga's try and the boot of Jack Cuthbert giving the visitors the win.

“It is very frustrating that we couldn't back our performance up from last weekend,” said Davies

“We didn't manage the game at all well. Conditions dictated that you had to play in a certain way, and we got it badly wrong. Our discipline let us down as well, and it fed Edinburgh. They played the conditions better than us.

“We were buoyed by last week's performance and result, but we are still not in the groove and rhythm of winning games, and you have got to eke out wins however you can.

“In terms of Europe, all is not lost, although this is obviously a huge setback for us. First and foremost, we've got a big week ahead of us in terms of getting our domestic season up and running.

“Field position was the big thing for me today. You are not going to score 60-metre tries on a day like today, and Edinburgh ground out the win. They stuck to a pretty focused game-plan.

“The top teams know how to eke out wins, and we are not in a rhythm at this moment in time to do that. These players are good players. It's a mental thing right now.”

Gloucester have a high number of players out of contract at the end of this season, including fly-half Freddie Burns, and Davies was eager to stress that some players thinking about the future was detrimental to the club.

“I wouldn't have thought it would help anyone to be thinking about other things right now,” added Davies.

“One of the things I've told the group is that this team has to completely focus on what we are doing on the field, regardless of what other things are going on their lives. It won't be acceptable any longer that we don't fully focus on Gloucester rugby.”