Gloucester on a roll after standing up to Edinburgh

GLOUCESTER showed they can still scrum and maul as good as any side as the Cherry and Whites laid down the gauntlet in their pursuit of silverware on Friday night.

- LUKE JARMYN

Last season’s Challenge Cup runners-up highlighted an intent to go one better with a winning start to their campaign amid torrential conditions over a stylish but ill-disciplined Edinburgh.

The West Country side have made headlines for their Barbarians-style flair this season, but two maul-based tries show they’ve lost none of the set-piece nous they were previously renowned for.

Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: “We got the big performance I asked for. We were disappointed after our last home game so this shows the boys will fight hard for this club.

“Edinburgh brought it to us, it was a nitty, gritty, roll your sleeves up game in bad conditions.

“We know how to maul, a few seasons ago that’s all we could do, and we haven’t stopped training it. We want to play an expansive game but mauling is close to my heart and it was clear with the conditions that’s the route we had to go down.”