Barkley on form in Gloucester triumph

8:15pm Saturday 11th October 2008

Olly Barkley kicked Gloucester to a vital 22-10 victory over Biarritz at Kingsholm - but there was little to suggest the west country club will mount a major challenge for Heineken Cup honours this season.

England international Barkley landed four penalties and a conversion of James Simpson-Daniel's 39th-minute try on his Gloucester European debut.

But Biarritz exposed enough chinks in Gloucester's armour to suggest Pool Six could go to the wire, especially after Cardiff Blues' demolition of Italian hosts Calvisano.

Biarritz, despite a Jean-Baptiste Gobelet try and Julien Peyrelongue drop-goal and conversion, had to content themselves with no points from the match.

But they will head home safe in the knowledge their qualifying pool has a long way to run.

Gloucester handed Ryan Lamb the number 10 shirt for their biggest game since last season's Guinness Premiership play-off clash against Leicester, while 2006 Heineken Cup runners-up Biarritz included England international flanker Magnus Lund.

A poor game, punctuated by the fussy officiating of Scottish referee Peter Allen, never remotely threatened to move through the gears.

And Gloucester boss Dean Ryan must know there is a lot of work to be done before next Sunday's Millennium Stadium clash with Cardiff.