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Superb Laidlaw kicking display lands Challenge Cup for Gloucester

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 01: Billy Twelvetrees, the Gloucester captain, raises the trophy after thier victory during the European Rugby Challenge Cup Final ma
Image: Billy Twelvetrees, the Gloucester captain, raises the trophy after their victory during the European Rugby Challenge Cup final

Greig Laidlaw broke the hearts of former club Edinburgh to kick Gloucester to the European Challenge Cup.

Scrum-half Laidlaw produced a superb display of goalkicking, missing only one late penalty, as he notched 14 points in a 19-13 win for the Cherry and Whites against the Scottish club he served for seven years.

Gloucester, who won the cup nine years ago, were the better side but completed the victory with 14 men after Bill Meakes was sent off for an off-the-ball tackle 14 minutes from time.

The Kingsholm outfit will now represent the English clubs in the Champions Cup play-off, their second-tier European crown trumping either Sale or Quins finishing seventh in the Aviva Premiership.

Edinburgh struck an early blow with an immaculate penalty from Sam Hidalgo-Clyne after Gloucester failed to release just inside their own half after only three minutes.

But the Cherry and Whites constantly looked to play an expansive game in the perfect conditions and Laidlaw did not pass up the chance to split the posts after an offside infringement from 35m and level the scores shortly afterwards.

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Jonny May was named man of the match

Two minutes later, they had the lead. Jonny May sliced through midfield and passed inside to Billy Twelvetrees to finish underneath the posts. Laidlaw, as was typical of his goal-kicking display all night, added the conversion with ease.

May was denied a superb try after 25 minutes when he carried the ball from the edge of his own 22 and seemed certain to score in the corner but a Cornell Du Preez ankle tap denied him at the final moment.

Anton Bresler infringed at the subsequent ruck and was sin-binned for 10 minutes, handing Gloucester a numerical advantage on which they immediately sought to capitalise.

But despite a long spell of pressure, Edinburgh saw out the 10-minute period without conceding and put together some good phases of their own before winning a penalty for offside, and with it Hidalgo-Clyne cut the deficit to four points.

Laidlaw restored the seven-point gap with the final score of the half with a well-struck penalty from 33 metres and Hidalgo-Clyne badly shanked a penalty in the closing stages of the first period.

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Billy Twelvetrees: Hailed Gloucester's belief and spirit

Gloucester extended their lead to 13 points with two further Laidlaw penalties 10 minutes after the restart, the second an excellent effort from the 10-metre line.

Ross Moriarty was sin-binned for kneeing an opponent and Edinburgh almost took advantage, attempting to roll a maul over only to knock the ball on at the crucial moment.

Gloucester’s player count went to 13 for a brief period when centre Meakes was sent off for a high tackle on a man without the ball with 16 minutes left on the clock and the English side leading 19-6.

The dismissal opened the door for Edinburgh to get on the scoreboard; the ball was slow but hooker Ross Ford picked and drove for a close-range score which Hidalgo-Clyne converted to close the gap to six.

The Scots were camped in the Gloucester half for a long period after that invigorating score but the defence stood firm and they even put some attacking rugby of their own together in the final few minutes of the match, although they naturally kept their play very narrow.

No further scores were forthcoming but none were necessary. Laidlaw missed a late penalty but by that point his right boot had already done the damage. And Gloucester had won the trophy.

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