Despite being 9-0 down at the half time break, Saints pulled themselves back into the game as they were hosted by Gloucester Rugby in this New Year’s Day fixture to win by one on the road.
Gloucester were the first to get off the mark with Billy Burns sending the first of four penalties over in the ninth minute.
The home side continued to push their guests and a break from Billy Twelvetrees saw Matt Kvesic with open space in front of him just moments later. Saints managed to scramble back, however, and held Gloucester out for another ten minutes.
Saints earned themselves a shot at the posts at the twenty-minute mark after applying the pressure to their hosts but Stephen Myler sent his first kick of his 300th appearance wide.
Just after Burns was signalling to the posts again as Gloucester got themselves in an attacking position once again, the fly- half sending his kick through the uprights and then sent the ball through the uprights again just before the break to see his side nine points to the good.
Gloucester returned from the break with a renewed intensity but it was Saints that sealed the opening score of the half as Myler sent a penalty over.
The home side thought they were over the line on the 53rd minute but a trip to the TMO denied them the score.
Saints began the stretch their hosts’ defence and earned Myler another go at the posts to close the gap to just three points.
Burns returned Myler’s efforts to see the game move to 12-6, but Saints’ attack was back in progress and the territory soon swung in the away side’s favour.
Saints got themselves within Gloucester’s 22 and with an overlap in the form of George Northout wide. As the men in black, green and gold tried to exploit it, however, Gloucester’s wing Halaifonua was deemed to have deliberately knocked the ball on and was yellow carded by the referee Matthew Carley and Saints were awarded a penalty try.
Myler lined up with barely two minutes left on the clock and sent the conversion through to give Saints a one point lead.
Despite the home side’s best efforts they could not penetrate their guests’ defence as the game drew to a close and after one final surge from Louis Picamoles, the ball was sent into touch to give Saints the win.
TIMELINE
9mins GLOUCS Pen Burns 3-0
21mins SAINTS Miss Pen Myler 3-0
31mins GLOUCS Pen Burns 6-0
35mins GLOUCS Pen Burns 9-0
HALF TIME Gloucester 9 Saints 0
47mins SAINTS Pen Myler 9-3
54mins GLOUCS Miss Pen Burns 9-3
58mins SAINTS Pen Myler 9-6
62mins GLOUCS Pen Burns 12-6
78mins SAINTS Pen Try Con myler 12-13
FULL TIME Glocuester 12 Saints 13
TEAMS
GLOUCESTER Hook; Halaifonua, Symons, Twelvetrees, May, Burns, Heinz; Hohneck, Hibbard, Ma’afu, Savage, Thrush, Ludlow, Kvesic, Morgan
Subs – Matu’u, McAllister, Afoa, Galarza, Moriarty, Laidlaw, Protheroe, Scott
SAINTS Foden; Pisi, Burrell, Hanrahan, North, Myler, Groom; A Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Day, Wood, Harrison, Picamoles
Subs – Clare, E Waller, Hill, Ratuniyarawa, Gibson, Kessell, Mallinder, Estelles