Ackermann's crucial scores helps Gloucester upset Montpellier

SATURDAY WRAP: Gloucester produced a solid performance to advance to the Challenge Cup quarterfinals, beating Montpellier 24-17 at the GGL Stadium.\

Montpellier were on a mission from the get-go, grabbing the tie’s first score on four minutes through Anthony Bouthier.

Hugo Reus then inflicted more pain on the visitors six minutes later for a two-try deficit. But it wasn’t enough to sink the Gloucester hopes.

The English side saw two crosses ruled out by TMO but finally got themselves a legal score on 25 minutes thanks to Freddie Thomas.

That didn’t stop the Cherry and Whites, and they were level before long – Cameron Jordan went over to bring things level.

But it was Montpellier who went into the dressing room with their noses in front (17-14) at half-time through a Hugo Reus penalty.

Despite conceding that late score in the first-half, Gloucester were the dominant side coming out for the second-half.

After almost 20 minutes of second-half stalemate, Gloucester were the ones to get the next score through the hands of Ruan Ackermann.

With their noses now in front, it was going to require some sturdy and watertight defending from Gloucester.

And that’s just what the English side managed for the final 10 minutes, resisting any Montpellier attack.

Santiago Carreras put the cherry on the cake for the visitors to end it, converting a long-distance penalty.

All Saturday’s scorers and scorers follow below …

Montpellier 17-24 Gloucester

The scorers

For Montpellier
Tries: Bouthier, Reus
Cons: Reus 2
Pen: Reus

For Gloucester
Tries: Thomas, Jordan, Ackermann
Cons: Carreras 3
Pen: Carreras

Yellow card: Caolan Englefield (Gloucester, 51)

Teams

Montpellier Hérault: 15 Anthony Bouthier, 14 Pierre Lucas, 13 Thomas Darmon, 12 Arthur Vincent, 11 George Bridge, 10 Hugo Reus, 9 Leo Coly, 8 Billy Vunipola (captain), 7 Sam Simmonds, 6 Lenni Nouchi, 5 Mahonri Ngakuru, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 3 Mohamed Haouas, 2 Christopher Tolofua, 1 Enzo Forletta.
Replacements: 16 Lyam Akrab, 17 Nika Abuladze, 18 Wilfrid Hounkpatin, 19 Nicolas Martins, 20 Alex Becognee, 21 Martin Doan, 22 Auguste Cadot, 23 Thomas Vincent.

Gloucester: 15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Jacob Morris, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Caolan Englefield, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Lewis Ludlow (captain), 6 Jack Clement, 5 Freddie Thomas, 4 Cameron Jordan, 3 Kirill Gotovtsev, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Ciaran Knight.
Replacements: 16 Seb Blake, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Afolabi Fasogbon, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Harry Taylor, 21 Deian Gwynne, 22 Charlie Chapman, 23 Will Butler.

Referee: Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby (South Africa) & Christopher Allison (South Africa)
TMO: Mark Patton (Ireland)

*More to follow …

* Source:@ChallengeCup_