Champion rowers Pete Reed and Andy Hodge and sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson pulled the covers off the clock, as 2012 chairman Seb Coe, London Mayor Boris Johnson and world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis looked on.

BBC: 2012 clock starts counting down as tickets go on sale

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

BBC: Ulster 14-32 Gloucester

Mr. Simpson and his partner Iain Percy won an Olympic gold medal for England in 2008 in the Star class of sailing.

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Mr Simpson represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games, sailing in the Star class alongside Iain Percy, his Artemis team boss.

BBC: Sherborne pays tribute to Andrew Simpson