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Glaws lock Alex Brown has surgery on fractured jaw

Alex Brown - surgery
By Cherry Picker March 4 2008
The big midweek news for Gloucester is that lock Alex Brown has been ruled out for up to a month with a hairline fracture to his jaw. In our latest look at what the media are saying about Gloucester, that news was broken on the club website, while the overall verdict in the papers over the last few days is that Glaws are going through a sticky patch.

 

Glaws logoGLOUCESTER lock Alex Brown will undergo surgery today (Tue) to stabilise a hairline fracture in his jaw, sustained during his side's 30-25 defeat against Harlequins on Saturday.

After consultation with a specialist on Monday, Brown will have a plate inserted into the left side of his jaw and is expected to be out of action for three or four weeks.

GuardianQuins for the title? Not yet, but they are currently in better psychological shape than a Gloucester team whose confidence is visibly fraying at the edges.

Iain Balshaw had another of those games that drive coaches mad. When he has the ball in space he remains a beautifully balanced runner, but confronted with an aerial bombardment he is desperately uncertain. The chances of him being in the same postcode as the descending ball are no better than evens.

Lesley Vainikolo's bursts up the left flank underlined his lack of opportunities in the Six Nations. "He's pretty frustrated with England," said Gloucester's director of rugby, Dean Ryan. "He's still learning but I don't think he's seeing enough ball."

Glaring problems at the lineout are wrecking Gloucester's attacking platform and there is a lack of clear-sighted decision-making.

 TimesGloucester … allowed Harlequins to exploit their strengths in broken play.Lesley Vainikolo, had an excellent first half, as Gloucester worked him the ball. He made a try-saving tackle and a try for Balshaw, but Gloucester's other wing, James Simpson-Daniel, who has bulked up, was the most impressive. 

 Telegraph

Gloucester were unable to keep Quins at arm's length for the important final quarter. That will be a major worry for Ryan. Walker made too many mistakes at outside-half and the forwards did not control the ball well enough to subdue an irrepressible effort by the Quins pack.

The crucial moment fell to Gloucester captain Peter Buxton, who ploughed into defenders five metres from the line with two colleagues in space outside him. It was a decision made in the heat of battle, but one which may have consequences for the rest of Gloucester's season.

skysport logoIt seemed for long periods that Gloucester's individual brilliance would win out over a cracking team performance from Quins who bossed the game for long spells,

 

citizenThere are two things Gloucester Rugby Club is famous for around the globe - the Shed, and its occupants.The club's fans are seen as some of the most passionate and loyal in the world of rugby.However, their loyalty is being tested to the full with the ticketing fiasco for the crucial Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Munster.The decision to allow season-ticket holders to claim up to seven tickets each has not gone down well with fans.It has encouraged some unscrupulous fans to buy tickets, only to immediately place them on internet auction sites in the hope of making a profit.The appearance of at least five tickets on one site within hours of the club announcing they had sold out has provoked widespread condemnation from supporters.One 'fan' is encouraging bids of £1,000 for a pair of tickets priced at £22 each originally.To see fellow season-ticket holders attempting to cash in at the expense of other supporters goes against the spirit of rugby. 

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