Gloucester took a firm grip on Heineken Cup Pool 2 with a bonus-point victory away to Bourgoin in eastern France.

Gloucester dominated the first hour and led 17-0 at half-time thanks to Anthony Allen and James Simpson-Daniel tries.

Ryan Lamb grabbed their third score and although Julien Frier crossed for the hosts, Andy Titterrell grabbed the crucial fourth try in injury-time.

Gloucester’s joy was tempered by injuries to Olly Morgan, Mike Tindall and Chris Paterson.

The English league leaders took a fifth minute lead when Allen cut through the home defence to score a solo effort.

Lamb, glad to put his arrest and night in the cells last weekend behind him, converted and the fly-half added a penalty just after the 20-minute mark as the visitors stamped their authority on the game from the start.

Despite a number of successes on Gloucester’s line-out the Cherry and Whites’ power up front and pace out wide meant the hosts remained under the cosh up to half-time.

And they conceded a second try when Lamb’s delightful side-step and delayed pass from an attacking line-out enabled Simpson-Daniel to dance over, with Lamb adding the extras.

The winger could have made it even better for Gloucester but, when Lamb chipped through after a sweeping counter-attack, Simpson-Daniel knocked on as he tried to pick up at pace and dive over.

Gloucester led 17-0 at the break and although they came close to conceding a try when Bourgoin open-side Mark Rennie nearly raced over on the counter-attack, Lamb quickly settled their nerves.

The impish number 10 intercepted an over-ambitious pass in midfield and cruised over under the posts to make his conversion a formality.

Gloucester then lost Morgan and Tindall to injury and the hosts finally began to get into the game as the wind picked up and the rain began to hammer down.

Iain Balshaw, who was later temporarily forced off with a cut shin, produced a superb corner-flag tackle to keep flying winger David Janin at bay but two minutes later Frier crashed over from short range.

Benjamin Boyet’s conversion made it 24-7 and Gloucester’s injury situation went from bad to worse as the visitors, who briefly had 16 players on the field, lost replacement Paterson to injury.

Bourgoin enjoyed the better of the closing stages but Gloucester managed to raise the siege and grabbed a bonus point when Titterrell plunged over for a fourth converted try in the last move of the game.

Gloucester got their Heineken Cup campaign off to a perfect start with an impressive bonus-point victory over Ulster at Ravenhill.

The visitors scored five first-half tries through Lesley Vainikolo, Mike Tindall, Ryan Lamb, James Simpson-Daniel and Iain Balshaw.

Ulster fought back with Matt McCullough and Paddy Wallace tries to leave Gloucester 29-14 ahead at the break.

Lamb’s penalty was the only score in a quiet second half.

It was an amazing first half with Gloucester securing their bonus point after just 22 minutes, the second quickest in the competition’s history.

The Guinness Premiership leaders were taking on the Magners League basement side and the gulf in class was evident from the start.

The returning Vainikolo touched down in the corner from Lamb’s pin-point kick to set Gloucester on their way after seven minutes.

A superb move up the right produced the second try three minutes later, with Tindall collecting from Balshaw’s lay-off before sprinting clear to the line.

Vainikolo muscled his way forward in the 17th minute, creating the space which allowed Lamb to jink through to add another five points.

Lamb created the next try five minutes later, intercepting a Wallace pass and surging forward before his pass sent Simpson-Daniel rushing through to score.
Ulster’s Roger Wilson is tackled by Nick Wood at Ravenhill
The fifth Gloucester try after 28 minutes came from a turnover with Balshaw storming away from the chasing Isaac Boss to go over.

Gloucester were simply superb although Lamb missed with three of his conversion attempts.

Ulster hit back two minutes later when McCullough went over for a converted try after a break from Andrew Trimble.

A second Ulster try followed in injury-time with Wallace touching down after a clever dummy and the fly-half converted with the last kick of the half.

Ulster pressed after the break but, unlike the visitors in the first half, failed to convert it into points.

The game became scrappy in the driving rain and most phases ended in errors.

The only points of the half were registered on 68 minutes when Lamb slotted over a penalty.

Former Ireland international David Humphreys came on as a replacement for Rob Dewey but he was unable to inspire an Ulster comeback and Gloucester ran out comfortable winners.