Bottom-dwellers Gloucester lose sixth match in seven outings
Gloucester remain rooted to the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership table as they crashed to their sixth defeat in seven leagues games. Northampton’s 31-26 success was deserved as they outscored their hosts by four tries to two.
Number eight Shaun Adendorff scored two of them and Taqele Naiyaravoro and Rory Hutchinson got one apiece with Dan Biggar kicking three penalties and a conversion for the Saints.
Willi Heinz and Matias Alemanno scored Gloucester’s tries, with Billy Twelvetrees adding four penalties and two conversions – but their efforts proved in vain.
Gloucester made a hash of collecting the kick-off to gift Saints an early platform which enabled Biggar to kick them into an eighth minute lead with a simple penalty.
Two minutes later the hosts were level when Twelvetrees knocked over a straightforward kick but – playing with the wind – Northampton had the better of the opening 15 minutes.
It was therefore against the run of play when the home side scored next.
From a line-out on the Gloucester 22, opposition locks, Api Ratuniyarawa and David Ribbans made strong bursts to threaten the try-line. A score looked likely but home captain Lewis Ludlow intercepted a telegraphed pass to run 70 metres and when Saints were penalised, Twelvetrees kicked his second goal.
Northampton Saints – Gallagher Premiership – Kingsholm Stadium” />
Minutes later Twelvetrees added a third before Northampton scored the first try of the game. The visitors battered the line for a continuous period of three minutes before Naiyaravoro was presented with a walk-in.
Biggar missed the conversion but succeeded with a penalty before Northampton full-back George Furbank and Gloucester wing Santiago Carreras had to leave the field after a sickening mid-air collision resulted in them both receiving lengthy treatment on the floor.
However they recovered to walk from the field before a strong run from Lloyd Evans ended with a high tackle and from the resulting penalty Twelvetrees was on-target to give Gloucester an undeserved 12-11 interval lead.
After the restart a knock-on from Ratuniyarawa gave Gloucester early field position and they should have capitalised – but Twelvetrees missed with an angled 22-metre kick.
A couple of well-judged kicks from Heinz kept Saints penned in their own half before the scrum-half scored Gloucester’s opening try. On half-way, Olly Thorley burst past a couple of defenders before running 40 metres to send Heinz in under the posts.
Northampton responded with a well-created try when skilful handling gave Hutchinson the opportunity to penetrate the home defence for an excellent solo effort.
Biggar converted before Gloucester conceded a third try. Matt Proctor made ground down the right and when the ball was recycled, a well-judged cross-field kick from Hutchinson was collected by Adendorff to score.
A flowing move, in which Hutchinson and replacement Tommy Freeman were heavily involved, saw Adendorff score his second and the best try of the game before a Biggar penalty sealed the success.
With a minute remaining, Alemanno, forced his way over from close range to give his side a losing bonus point.
Comments on RugbyPass
Whether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
2 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
97 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
8 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
8 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
70 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
70 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
6 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
70 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
10 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
10 Go to comments