LV= Anglo Welsh Cup semi-final – Gloucester v Newport Gwent Dragons
Venue: Kingsholm Date: Sunday, 13 March Kick-off: 1300 GMT
Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio Gloucestershire and BBC Sport website with score updates on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru
Morgan has started seven games in Gloucester’s nine-match winning run |
Full-back Olly Morgan says confidence is sky high at Gloucester as they prepare to host Newport Gwent Dragons in the LV=Cup semi-finals.
The Cherry and Whites have lost just once and won nine in a row at their Kingsholm ground this season.
“Obviously we’re confident and the fact we’re at home gives us inner belief we need,” Morgan told BBC Gloucestershire.
“But it’s not going to be easy. They’re not a team to be underestimated and are doing well in the Magners League.”
The Dragons have suffered only one reverse in six games and will arrive at Kingsholm buoyed by a home success over Gloucester in the group stages of the LV= Cup.
That was their first victory against the Cherry and Whites, but Morgan insists the hosts will present a very different challenge from that night in November.
“It was raining and windy and back then our management of those games was not where we wanted it to be,” said the 25-year-old.
“But you look at the Northampton and Wasps games in the last few weeks and we’ve put those right and I like to think as a team we can adapt to any weather.”
As well as their form and confidence, Gloucester have recent knockout experience to fall back on having reached the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup in each of the last two seasons.
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Every player now knows the structure and everybody knows what they’re doing so in terms of training it’s implementing what threats Dragons pose and making sure we can close those out |
But they refuse to look ahead to righting the wrongs of those final defeats against Cardiff in 2009 and Northampton 12 months ago and are taking things very much one game at a time, with this testing last-four encounter at the fore.
“It’s a cliche, but you have to work by that,” added Morgan. “It’s important we win, but the final has been put to one side.
“Every player now knows the structure and everybody knows what they’re doing so in terms of training it’s implementing what threats Dragons pose and making sure we can close those out.
“Everybody knows what they’re doing, which is important from a coach’s perspective and for the players on the pitch, we’re playing with confidence and we need to take that into the game.”
One of the men hoping to come into the reckoning on Sunday after coming off the bench against Bath following an ankle injury is lock Alex Brown.
The 31-year-old will provide fresh impetus to a team head coach Bryan Redpath has recognised is mentally tiring after recent exertions and rewarded with two days off earlier in the week.
“The boys were tired and rightly so because they’ve been working really hard in tough games and tough conditions, grinding out the wins. Hopefully I can bring some energy to that.
“Dragons are a good outfit, play some great rugby, they’re winning and we need to be at full strength to compete with them.
“You want to be in finals and this is a massive stepping stone obviously. But one game at a time is the way we’re looking at it and that’s served us well over the last few weeks.”
