Ben Morgan eyes European and international success

Martyn Thomas 13:03 06/04/2014
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  • Power play: Morgan is targeting both club and international success on the back of a good year for the No8.

    Gloucester No8 Ben Morgan is hoping an unbeaten finish to the season, and Amlin Challenge Cup glory, can provide the springboard to a successful summer tour of New Zealand with England.

    The Cherry and Whites travel to Adams Park to face Wasps today looking to continue a run they hope will restore pride in what has been a disappointing season thus far.

    Following the Six Nations, and with the club languishing in the lower echelons of the Aviva Premiership, the squad targeted winning their final six domestic games as well as those in Europe’s second tier competition.

    Since the return of Morgan, Billy Twelvetrees and Jonny May from England duty Gloucester have secured back-to-back victories against Newcastle Falcons and Exeter Chiefs.

    And when asked how important the Challenge Cup now is to the club, Morgan replied: “It’s really important. Obviously this season hasn’t gone how we wanted it to but we’ve said we’ve got a chance to finish really strongly. We’ve targeted winning our four Premiership games and obviously our Amlin games too.

    “Being in the quarter-final, getting into the latter stages, means we are right up there and have a chance of winning it.

    “So it’s up to us to really get things right on the field this weekend, give our best and push on.”

    With Premiership rivals Harlequins and Northampton already confirming their semi-final spots, Gloucester can set-up a last four clash with either Bath or Brive if they win at Adams Park.

    The West Country club are the lowest ranked of the English sides left in the Challenge Cup, but Morgan says that can be a motivating factor.

    “It’s hard obviously having not achieved what we wanted to so far,” he added. “But I think that is a driver for us to finish strongly.”

    While his club have struggled this season, personally Morgan has thrived and ended his country’s Six Nations campaign as their starting No8 following injury to Billy Vunipola.

    Wins against Wales and Italy followed but they weren’t enough to pip Ireland to the title and prevent a third straight second-place finish.

    The mood around Stuart Lancaster’s squad remains positive but Morgan thinks they must continue to improve as a team ahead of the World Cup next year. And the former Llanelli Scarlets back-row believes a series win in New Zealand this summer would be a good place to start.

    “We’ve definitely got the mindset to go out there and win,” Morgan said. “It’s a big focus that we need improved performances from theSix Nations. I think in each game we continually did well but you’re only as good as your last game and it’s something we have to do.”

    Although they ultimately finished as runners-up, their Six Nations campaign did include a first win against Wales under Stuart Lancaster.

    The two sides have been grouped together in the 2015 World Cup, and Morgan says it was another useful step forward.

    “I think it was important for us as a group. We hadn’t actually beaten Wales – they were the two hiccups in the previous two Six Nations – so it was a marker for us to be able to do that,” he added.

    “It obviously gives us confidence going forward, there are no doubts in our mind that we can beat them because we have already done that.

    “So when it comes to the World Cup, there’s a Six Nations before that as well, it’s going to be important that as a squad we focus and keep building. We have the New Zealand tour in the summer so we’re trying to keep things moving on and on and going in the right direction.”

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