Balshaw blow not serious

By Ben Blackmore  

Balshaw blow not serious

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Gloucester director of rugby Dean Ryan expects a quick return to playing action for Iain Balshaw, after the England man limped off against Bath.

The Cherry-and-Whites won the game 24-19 thanks to tries from Olly Morgan and Jack Adams, which both arrived after Balshaw had limped off.

"It is a twisted ankle," revealed Ryan.

"He stood on someone's foot, but he will be fine - he is just a bit fed up that it happened on his Gloucester debut."

Commenting on the match, Ryan was full of praise for back-row forwards Peter Buxton and Andy Hazell, who made the difference on a testing afternoon at Kingsholm.

"In those wet and windy conditions to get any sort of game out of it was a credit to both sides.

"I am really pleased with our performance. We did the right things at the right times, and we had the courage to keep the ball in hand, which was rewarded with the two tries we scored.

"I have said it many times before that this team doesn't function properly without Peter Buxton, while Andy Hazell is a heroic player who smashes up his own body every week.

"Buxton and Hazell are pretty much the glue of what this place is about. They are hugely influential and typical of the people we want here."

Bath head coach Steve Meehan came away disappointed with his charges, for whom Danny Grewcock scored twice, insisting he expected more from his men.

"We didn't get going in the first half," he said. "Our kicking game was not as good as it should have been, and we gave Gloucester a lot of ball.

"We had a good preparation for this game, but we seemed to be flat throughout much of the match."