Here are the ratings of Gloucester’s players after their 36-22 defeat to the Sharks in the Challenge Cup final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday.
15 Santi Carreras: He had a horrible night under the high ball. He started well but then it all went wrong as he continued to give the Sharks good field position. In fairness, he received awful defense from his teammates but still, he should have caught the majority of the balls that went his way. 3
14 Jonny May: It was a sad end to the Cherry and Whites legend’s time at the club, as he was part of a back three that barely had the ball and was outplayed by opposition players. Four
13 Chris Harris: They came just short of scoring the opening try, which hurt the Sharks as they dominated, and although they played well defensively they couldn’t have much of an impact on the game. Five
12 Seb Atkinson: Like Harris, Atkinson was brave and tried to swing the ball around but was often sent flying backwards. Five
Bright light on the backline
11 Ollie Thorley: Gloucester were probably the best backs on either side of the ball, often getting the ball into crowded areas but often over the gain line. 6
10 Adam Hastings: The Sharks’ forward dominance meant they were unable to control the game, but they also made some unforced errors and missed too many tackles. Four
9 Caolan Englefield: The pack denied him any chances to get going, but the scrum-half failed to help the pack with a number of failed box kicks, and after the first 20 minutes Gloucester were unable to apply any pressure in the air. Four
8 Zach Mercer: They weren’t helped by a strong front row performance but even taking that into account, it was hard to match the Sharks giants physically, they had the ball a lot but hardly any forward movement and it wasn’t a great night for the England prospect. Five
Harassment at close range
7. Lewis Ludlow (c): Apart from a missed tackle for the Sharks’ first try, Ludlow played well, being very troublesome in the maul and at the breakdown, winning a few turnovers and also playing a part at the lineouts. 7
6 Luan Ackerman: We carried the ball a lot and got some metres in but it wasn’t enough to move the team forward. 6
5 Arthur Clarke: He was good at the lineout and good at defending – there’s nothing wrong with his performance, but he was just underwhelming. 6
4 Freddie Clarke: He fought hard but was ultimately physically overpowered and, despite scoring a fantastic try at the end, was one of the losing teams for the Cherry and Whites. Five
Zach Mercer has revealed the last time he spoke to England manager Steve Borthwick.
it is really amazing
3. Fraser Balmain: The game against Oks Ntche looked tough and that was exactly what the tighthead needed as he was completely outplayed by the Springbok front row on what was a brutal night. 3
2 Seb Blake: There were problems at both the scrum and lineout, with Gloucester unable to gain any platform, and he was replaced at half-time along with his fellow front-rowers. 3
1 Jamal Ford Robinson: Like Balmain, the Fleecehead had a big task ahead of them, but they just couldn’t deliver. 3
replacement: The replacement front row had a good early win but then reverted to regular service, with Santiago Socino and Albert Tusue both scoring tries but making little impact elsewhere, really. Five
read more: The Sharks’ Springbok stars overpower the Durban side and claim an historic Challenge Cup title with a win over Gloucester.
