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| 30 November 2003, 11:25 am |
| Gloucester Fight-Back Denies Saints |
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Saints could easily have left Kingsholm with a win, but ultimately a couple of errors in the heat of battle meant they missed out on even a losing bonus point.
This was a great game for the spectators as Gloucester overcame a seven-point half time deficit and while it was a full-blooded encounter there was none of the ill-will that marred the previous match, at Franklin's Gardens.
An 11,000 capacity crowd turned out to see the return of Gloucester's World Cup heroes, while Northampton's England contingent watched the game from the stands. Both sets of players were given a rousing recption by the fans before kick off.
Gloucester opened the scoring when a kick by Shane Drahm was charged down by Henry Paul. Junior Paramore gathered the loose ball and charged down the wing before passing inside to Marcel Garvey, who had an easy 25 metre canter to the posts, and Paul kicked the conversion.
Saints almost got a try back after 15 minutes, when the forwards turned the ball over and the backs broke from the halfway line, Mark Robinson finding space on the right wing before being brought down two metres from the line by James Simpson-Daniel. Robinson managed to pop up a pass, but it was a tricky ball and John Leslie knocked on.
Saints won the resulting scrum against the head, and a little grubber kick by Drahm was intercepted and cleared, but Saints won the line-out and pressed again, Robinson eventually touching down amid some try line confusion, and Drahm kicked the conversion.
Saints were soon forced to defend, and twice stopped Gloucester when they were close to tries, but eventually conceded a penalty for offside, which Paul converted. It was Northampton's turn to kick for goal three minutes later, Drahm scoring the points despite the best efforts of some of the Gloucester fans.
Saints took the lead for the first time just before the break, when Nick Beal collected a long kick and ran it back before passing to Reihana on the left wing, who went through two attempted tackles before passing back inside to the waiting Robinson who went through for the try and Drahm added the conversion to make it 17-10 to Saints at half-time.
Nigel Melville had said before the game that Phil Vickery and Trevor Woodman would come on for the last 20 minutes, but the second half was just four minutes old when he felt the need to bolster the pack. They were in action immediately with a series of scrums near the Saints' line, but that advantage was thrown away when Chris Fortey was penalised. The game continued in a scrappy fashion, having lost the fluidity of the first half as Gloucester battled their way back into the match, until Simpson-Daniel broke free on the left wing to score a try, and Paul equalised with the conversion and Woodman scored a try himself 14 minutes later.
Gloucester continued to apply pressure, but were frequently knocked back in the tackle, eventually opting to kick a penalty to make it 25-17 after 73 minutes. Drahm had an opportunity to get three points straight back, but he hit the post from 46 metres. Another, closer, kick a minute or so later was good, though, and the gap was back to five points as Saints continued to press in search of a try.
Their efforts came to nought, however, and Paul kicked another penalty in injury time - they left Kingsholm empty handed, but it was not for the want of effort.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Beal; Brooks, Tucker, Leslie (Sleightholme 40mins), Reihana; Drahm, Robinson; Smith, Richmond (Miles 65mins), Morris (Budgen 58mins), Hunter, Phillips (Soden 73mins), Seely, Fox, Blowers (Soden 67-73mins).
Tries: Robinson (2); Cons: Drahm (2); Pens: Drahm (2).
GLOUCESTER
Delport; Garvey (Frape 40mins), Todd, Paul, Simpson-Daniel; McRae, Gomarsall; Roncero (Woodman 44mins), Fortey, Deacon (Vickery 44mins), Brown, Cornwell, Boer, Buxton (Hazell 59mins), Paramore.
Tries: Garvey, Simpson Daniel, Woodman; Cons: Paul (2); Pens: Paul (3). |
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