Top-seeded French team Toulouse have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup. It has been such an impressive run from them, with five wins from five.
Gloucester are in a precarious position in trying to muscle their way through as one of the three best runners-up. They may need to come up with an away win to do that.
Will the fact that Toulouse have already booked their spot in the next round, help the Cherry & Whites?
Read our Toulouse vs Gloucester betting tip for more details.
Toulouse v Gloucester odds*
Toulouse 1/9
Draw 33/1
Gloucester 11/2
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 16th, 2020 at 1:02 pm)
Rugby Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
Can Gloucester dig out an away win?
Heading into the final weekend of action in the pool stages of the Heineken Cup, Gloucester are sat in the position of being one of the best three runners-up. But unless they get a win on the board, then there is no guarantee that they will make it through.
Winning at Toulouse is no easy thing, however. When the two met in the opening round of this season’s pool stage, Gloucester did put on a good show against the French outfit. However, the Cherry & Whites had to settle for a bonus point defeat in a 20-25 scoreline.
Gloucester didn’t get on the scoreboard again after the 34th minute of the fixture as Toulouse powered back at them at Kingsholm. Out on the road in this pool stage, Gloucester lost (1 BP) at Montpellier and then at Connacht (2 BP), both losses happening by a three-point margin exactly.
Head to head
Gloucester have won two of the last three meetings with Toulouse
The last meeting in Toulouse was won by Gloucester 21-17 in 2011
Key-Facts – Toulouse vs Gloucester
- Gloucester are trying to finish as one of the best runners-up
- Toulouse have already won the group
- Gloucester have won 15 of 37 Heineken Cup away games
Will Toulouse be on their game?
Toulouse have won all of their matches in this pool. So they have the chance to complete a perfect campaign. But how much will they be bothered in doing so? It does seem like the ideal chance to switch off and take it easy.
But that would be more likely to happen if this wasn’t a home fixture for them. The home support will still be expecting a strong performance. Toulouse have won 68 of 83 home fixtures in the Heineken Cup, which is a fantastic record from them.
They haven’t scored as many tries as Gloucester have done in this season’s competition, and have way less passes and tackles as well. Despite that, Toulouse are averaging three points more per game than the Cherry & Whites are in this season’s competition.
Toulouse v Gloucester Prediction and tip
The home win has to be in the frame in this one, but given the situation here with Toulouse having already qualified, it may be worth looking at it being by a small margin.
This is a tough situation for Gloucester, do they try and stick or bust? At the very least a bonus point could be huge out of this for them.
They may not have enough away from home and a Toulouse 1-7 points margin of victory gets the nod as a 9/2 option* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 16th, 2020 at 1:02 pm)
