Eyes are on Warriors now we leave Europe

It has been a good two weeks in the Champions Cup for us and we are in the process of being successful.

The draw in Exeter was a satisfactory return from a tough tough game in round one, and despite a scrappy enough game against Gloucester at the weekend, we'll take the maximum haul.

It was a game with a lot of mistakes and a lot of penalties conceded from our point of view. It was a weird one afterwards: it felt like we had not a good result in the bag even though we finished with the win and the bonus point.

There definitely was a feeling we could have a lot of things in front of our own crowd, but we can not be too bad.

I was at the heart of the game and it was tough on Danny Cipriani to be sent off, but it's one of those tackles that World Rugby wants eradicated from the game.

Referees have guidelines from higher powers to enforce it. He apologized as he walked off and again after the game. He was obviously disappointed and probably felt he let his team down but that's the way it goes now.

affected

The referee had to send him off. Anything to the head is a card we've seen on a few occasions already this season.

The change of rule that is not really affected because I'm not very important.

In the end, it is not a problem for us, it is not for us complain about them. It's something we're all aware of and is positive from a player welfare point of view.

Looking back at the game since the full-time whistle, we should be pretty happy. We're in the pool after two games, something we would like to start with. We knew how to behave well, but it was a good performance though, especially from a disciplinary point of view.

Late on, Gloucester were on top, and we were in three tries and gave up two yellow cards, which is pretty unlike us. We knew it was our own way of doing things.

Last Saturday was a great opportunity, despite the 1pm kick-off it was a bit different to the late games and I think the build-up is slightly different for our supporters. The stop-start performance in the opening 30 minutes did not help, but in the end I think people left Thomond Park with a bounce in their step enjoying the positive result.

From a player 's point of view, it' s still very easy to get ready for an early start – up, but thankfully we 've been getting ahead early on and never relinquished the lead – even as things got pressurized late on.

Gloucester are definitely looking for a strong team they are a few years back when we last played them. Their squad is very powerful now, with Cipriani, Gerbrandt and Matt Banahan in there now.

Their form in the Premiership has been very good. Now we really know what it will be like in Kingsholm in January and we'll be ready for it.

Midway through the second half we were 29-3 ahead and should have closed the game, but in those last ten minutes they could have gotten to a bonus-point try, which would have been a real downer for us.

Those are the points that can be made in the past, when they are done in a pool, they are in the process of being successful. It would have been disastrous to let it slip altogether, but we held on. Seventeen penalties were one of the things that made you feel good about yourself, so that's something that has to be compared to Glasgow.

They'll kick their easy goals, but they'll be able to go to the corner too much. As well as points, it will always cost you hard-earned field position, which wants.

The injuries to Tommy, Rhys, and Dan, but I'm sure this weekend we're going to see you guys for the chance to impress against Warriors.

physicality

We have put them in the past few years, in Europe and the PRO14, and it's always a feisty encounter. We were not so great in the second week of the season and we got the beating we deserved.

They put in a great first half and it proved too much to pull back. Their physicality and work in the contact area was very good.

It's always a lively game against them. They like to run from everywhere, we can offload really well, so we know what to expect. It has the makings of a very good game but we feel we really need to get back on them in this one.

There is a good buzz around the place after the win at the weekend so we're looking forward to it.

We're looking forward to seeing you again at the Guinness PRO14 with Conference Leaders Glasgow Warriors this weekend. We will not be thinking of anything else beyond this point.

Irish Independent