Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan were at the centre of wild celebrations in the Gloucester changing room after the Welsh duo delivered superb performances on their Premiership Rugby debuts.
The Wales captains moved to Kingsholm after leaving the Ospreys at the end of last season and made an instant impact over the summer as George Skivington named Lake as skipper, with Morgan serving as one of his deputies. However, it remained to be seen whether they could back it up in a new league as they faced Exeter Chiefs on the opening weekend.
That they did, and in some style too, with both men earning rave reviews as Lake led from the front and scored two tries in his side's 45-24 win against last year's Premiership runners-up at Sandy Park.
Statement Performances
A statement performance saw the Welsh hooker only play 55 minutes but manage 16 carries, 12 tackles and two turnovers in addition to his brace of tries, while he also recorded a 100% success rate at the lineout.
Morgan, meanwhile, impressed with his relentless workrate across the entire 80 minutes, with his tally of 20 tackles more than any other player on the pitch. Both Welshmen were subsequently nominated for the player of the match award, with Lake scooping it.
A clip shared on Gloucester's social media channels after the game showed the two Wales internationals leading the celebrations in the changing rooms, banging the plastic kit containers in the middle of the room while singing the team's famous victory song 'We are the boys from Gloucester'.
Praise from the Boss
Following the full-time whistle, Skivington heaped praise on Lake and Morgan as he said: "They are probably two of the most humble blokes I've come across. They train extremely hard and they want to do something special in the Premiership."
"We probably did need some guys to come in who are ready-made leaders. It's more quality of bloke I think. What they are bringing off the field is where their true value is."
The Gloucester boss is far from the only one impressed with the two Welsh stars, however, with TNT Sports pundit Chris Ashton branding them as "absolutely outstanding" and those across rugby media agreeing unanimously with the former England wing.
Rave Reviews
Writing in The Times, ex-England international Stuart Barnes said Lake looks to be "a masterstroke signing", as he added: "What a difference playing in a decent team makes."
"Dewi Lake has been injured and occasionally left isolated in his career as a Welsh international. But having crossed the Severn to join Gloucester with his compatriot Jac Morgan, he produced an immaculate 55 minutes of top-quality rugby here."
The Guardian's Robert Kitson, meanwhile, said Lake "is already making a significant difference to Gloucester’s level", while RugbyPass awarded him a 9/10 rating for his Premiership debut, with Morgan also picking up an 8.5/10 for a "relentless performance".
Viewers also took to social media to praise the duo's performances, with one claiming that they have already "transformed" Gloucester.
"Jac Morgan is absolute class," wrote another. "So many similarities to the great Richard Hill. His work rate is just phenomenal."
A third added: "Gloucester look such a better team than last year! Lake and Morgan cementing themselves as superb signings. Wonderful."
