GLOUCESTERSHIRE never got going in the Bill Beaumont County Cup Championship final and for the second successive season lost to Lancashire. Lancashire remain Gloucestershire’s bogey team as they secured their seventh victory out of the nine finals contested between the counties.

Lancashire came out of the blocks at top speed and were close to scoring within seconds of the kick off. Having pressurised the Gloucestershire line Steve Collin skipped down the blind side of a ruck for the opening try.

Gloucestershire managed to get into Lancashire territory but Tim Stevenson missed a straightforward penalty. Lancashire forced Gloucestershire into errors and conceding penalties and but for a fine Tom Jarvis tackle would have gone further ahead midway through the first half.

Collins ran the ball smoothly behind a pack that monopolised loose ball and another try seemed inevitable but the Gloucestershire defence held out and the forwards took the ball into the Lancashire ‘22’ where Stevenson made amends with an easy penalty. Gloucestershire continued to press but passes were laboured and didn’t go to hand. Jarvis and Nev Codlin combined to nearly score but the ball went loose on the Lancashire line and was cleared.

Lancashire finished the half on top, breaking out of defence before the forwards ran hard and Paul Arnold stretched over as Gloucestershire lost concentration. Collins converted and with seconds of the half remaining Gloucestershire’s woe continued when Dan Hodge was yellow-carded at a ruck. The last play of the half was another Stevenson penalty but it failed to trouble the posts. Gloucestershire trailed 12-3 at half-time.

Nine minutes after the restart replacement Danny Trigg kicked a penalty to put Gloucestershire within a converted try of the lead. But rather than inspiring Gloucestershire to greater things this merely wound up Lancashire even further. Collins kicked a penalty to restore the nine-point lead then after Gloucestershire had lost two turnovers in the shadow of the Lancashire posts in the space of two minutes. Lancashire counter-attacked and Mark Turner outstripped the Gloucestershire defence for a try which Collins converted.

The match stopped twice in the last quarter for lengthy injury breaks to Collins and replacement Gloucestershire scrum-half Jim Williams. Darren Barry was hauled down close to the line by Collins in what was the closest Gloucestershire were to scoring a try.

Deep in injury time the match was put out of Gloucestershire’s reach when Arnold capitalised on a defensive blunder to score his second try and Charlie Baleirara scored following a turnover on the Gloucestershire ‘22’ shortly afterwards. Replacement James O’Brien converted both.

The defeat was as comprehensive as the scoreboard suggested, the biggest margin in nearly 120 years of rugby between the counties. Gloucestershire made too many mistakes and lacked the fluency, accuracy and pace of the Lancashire side.

Scorers: Gloucestershire: penalties - Tim Stevenson, Danny Trigg.

Lancashire: tries - Paul Arnold (2) Steve Collins, Mark Turner, Charlie Baleirara; conversions: Collins (2), James O’Brien (2); penalty: Collins Gloucestershire: Martin Knight (Lydney); Tom Jarvis (Florence), Chris Ashwin (Bristol), Jack Gadd (Bristol), Nev Codlin (Cinderford); Tim Stevenson (Cinderford), Tom Richardson (Stourbridge); Matt Long (Birmingham & Solihull) (c), Paul Finken (Newbury), Chas Meddick (Dings Crusaders), Danny Hodge (Newbury), Royce Cadman (Hartpury College), Ed King (Cinderford), Jack Preece (Birmingham & Solihull), Gavin Curry (Dings Crusaders). Replacements: Sam Wilkes (Clifton), Tim Brocket (Dings Crusaders), Darren Barry (Clifton & Bristol), Marcus Brown (Cinderford), Barney Purbrook (Clifton), Jim Williams (Birmingham & Solihull), Danny Trigg (Cinderford) .

Lancashire: Matt Riley (Sedgley Park) (c); Mike Waywell (Fylde), Tom Brady (Sale Sharks), Alex Hurst (Fylde), Mark Turner (Liverpool St Helens); Steve Collins (Rochdale), Craig Aikman (Fylde); Adam Lewis (Fylde), Peter Ince (Caldy), Rob O’Donnell (Sale Sharks), Louis McGowan (Coventry), Gareth Rawlings (Longton), Jon Nugent (Caldy), Steve McGinnis (Fylde), Sam Beaumont (Fylde). Replacements: Nick Flynn (Sedgley Park), Charlie Baleralera (Sale Jets), Paul Arnold (Caldy), Danny Baines (Macclesfield), James O’Brien (Waterloo), Oli Brennand (Fylde), Ryan de la Harpe (Fylde).

Referee: Luke Pearce.