Montpellier 30-27 Gloucester: Jacques du Plessis sent off, but hosts take win
By Marc Bazeley
Last Updated: 24/11/19 5:26pm
A red card for Jacques du Plessis did not stop Montpellier as they held on for a 30-27 win over Gloucester in the Champions Cup.
Converted tries from Jan Serfontein and Nemani Nadolo helped the hosts establish a 14-point lead at half-time in the Pool 5 clash, but Gloucester hit back through Matt Banahan before second row du Plessis was dismissed for foul play.
A converted try from replacement Joe Simpson in the 75th minute gave Gloucester hope of completing the comeback, but they had to settle for a losing bonus point as the French side held out for the win.
Benoit Paillaugue kicked the hosts ahead with a 14th-minute penalty and the scrum-half was on hand to convert when Montpellier got the first try of the game eight minutes later.
It came when the ball was quickly shifted wide to the left from a scrum to winger Yvan Reilhac, who set off down the touchline and then kicked ahead for inside centre Serfontein to snaffle the ball and finish.
Billy Twelvetrees got Gloucester on the board with a penalty in the 28th minute and the visitors clawed themselves back into the contest with four minutes to go until half time as Lloyd Evans broke and set up half-back partner Callum Bradley for a converted score.
Montpellier responded with the last action of the half though and Nadolo made up for being denied a spectacular try by the TMO when a string of Montpellier scrums on Gloucester's line led to the giant Fijian forcing his way over for a converted try to put his side 24-10 up at the break.
The visitors made a bright start to the second half though and were rewarded when Braley sent Banahan crashing through the defensive line from close range for a converted six minutes after play resumed.
Skipper Paillaugue kept the scoreboard ticking over for the home side with a penalty in the 52nd minute, but their task was made harder when du Plessis was shown a red card for elbowing Gerbrandt Grobler in the head four minutes later.
Twelvetrees and Paillaugue then exchanged penalties as the match headed into the final 15 minutes, but Gloucester had narrowed the deficit to just three points with five minutes to play.
Louis Rees-Zammit showed great vision to put in a chip-kick down the right touchline which was collected by fellow winger Ollie Thorley and although he was stopped short, replacement scrum-half Simpson was able to scamper over for his eighth try in eight games.
Evans' conversion ensured it would be nail-biting finish, yet some indiscipline killed a final attacking chance for Gloucester and Montpellier were able to run down the clock to chalk up their first win of this season's Champions Cup, moving up to second in the pool.
