Gloucester boost play-off hopes with fine Sarries win

Editor

Gloucester made it successive Premiership wins and, in turn, helped their top-four ambitions following a 30-24 triumph over Saracens at Kingsholm.

The Cherry and Whites defeated Exeter Chiefs in their previous encounter and they overcame the other finalist from 2018 with a superb display.

An excellent effort in the first half set the tone, with Ben Morgan crossing the whitewash and Billy Twelvetrees kicking nine points off the tee.

Although Alex Lozowski responded for Sarries via a penalty and Michael Rhodes touched down in the second period, further scores from Ed Slater and Morgan effectively eased the hosts to victory.

To the visitors’ credit, however, they showed champion qualities to somehow rescue a losing-point when Matt Gallagher and Jackson Wray went over in the final two minutes.

The night was all about Gloucester, though. Having gone on a barren run, the West Countrymen got back on track with an excellent triumph over Exeter and they followed that up with another physical performance.

While the visitors were shorn of their internationals, it was still a strong team and they were outplayed by the hosts, who dominated from the kick-off.

Johan Ackermann’s men played with intensity and were ferocious at the contact area, providing the half-backs with plenty of quick ball, and Danny Cipriani duly picked holes in the Sarries rearguard.

Twelvetrees rewarded their control on the encounter with a penalty before Gloucester went back on the attack and pressurised inside the opposition 22.

The back-row were proving difficult to stop, with Jaco Kriel particularly powerful with ball in hand, and number eight Morgan powered across the whitewash for a 10-point buffer.

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Gloucester’s kicker then increased their lead from the tee before Saracens finally got on the board through Lozowski. However, they were constantly on the back foot and one of the home side’s danger men, Ollie Thorley, was growing into the contest.

Perhaps their only frustration was that they added just three more points before the interval as Twelvetrees made it 16-3 at half-time.

Mark McCall’s charges were slightly brighter at the start of the second period but the Cherry and Whites remained obstinate in defence and forced the visitors into errors.

Once again it allowed Gloucester to get on the front foot and, despite some excellent last-ditch tackling, the dam eventually burst as Slater touched down after 54 minutes.

It was a long way back for Sarries and, although they responded via Rhodes, the Kingsholm outfit were simply too good on the night. Credit must go to Saracens’ rearguard, who held them out as long as possible, but the third try was inevitable and it was the excellent Morgan that rounded off a superb night for the West Countrymen.

They did lose concentration however, while the champions upped the intensity, and it ended with McCall’s men rescuing a losing bonus-point as Gallagher and Wray crossed late on.