Gloucester Rugby secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 EPCR Champions Cup with a 30-25 victory over Castres Olympique at Kingsholm on Friday night. The Cherry and Whites scored tries through Zach Mercer, Jonny May, and Max Llewellyn, after Castres’ Julien Dumora had opened the scoring. Despite a tense finish, where Castres closed the gap with late tries from Wayan de Benedittis and Josaia Raisuqe, Gloucester held on, thanks in large part to 15 points from the boot of Santi Carreras.
Rugby reporter Joshua Matheson evaluated the individual performances of the Gloucester players:
– **Santi Carreras (15) – 8:** Playing at full-back, Carreras was crucial in the backfield, excelling in gathering high balls and maintaining a perfect kicking record, which was decisive in Gloucester’s victory.
– **Jonny May (14) – 8:** May, starting ahead of Josh Hathaway, showcased his speed and agility, scoring Gloucester’s second try in the 28th minute. His fielding was solid, and he effectively controlled bouncing balls, demonstrating his return to form with ball in hand.
Leave a Reply