Gloucester duo dropped

By Ben Blackmore  

Gloucester duo dropped

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Gloucester duo Henry Paul and Peter Richards will not feature in the club's opening European Challenge Cup match with Bayonne.

The pair were absent from Sunday's compulsory recovery session, after the Cherry-and-Whites' disappointing 18-16 derby loss to Bath.

Despite the fact that Bayonne are likely to provide the sternest test for Gloucester in the Pool stages, coach Dean Ryan has decided to take strong disciplinary action against the two rebellious backs.

Paul has been a regular in Gloucester's strong start to the season, forming a formidable partnership with fellow centre Mike Tindall.

Richards it yet to become the established number one scrum half, due to the form of Haydn Thomas, but he has still featured heavily in the early fixtures - forcing his way into the England setup in the process.