Gloucester still running hot
Gloucester claimed their ninth successive win in all competitions with a 34-22 victory over west country rivals Bath.
Last Updated: 05/03/11 3:35pm
Gloucester claimed their ninth successive win in all competitions with a 34-22 victory over west country rivals Bath at a sold-out Kingsholm.
Gloucester's longest unbeaten run since 2002 was secured by tries from England prop Paul Doran-Jones, centre Henry Trinder and a brace for wing Tom Voyce as the Cherry and Whites continued their charge towards the play-offs.
Fly-half Nicky Robinson added four penalties and a conversion, while Matt Banahan, Tom Biggs and Ben Williams scored for Bath.
Gloucester stay third in the Premiership, but Bath are hanging onto their own top four place after just their second defeat in 10 matches.
And a miserable day for the visitors ended when their England international centre Olly Barkley, who had earlier landed a penalty and conversion, was carried off nursing what appeared to be a serious leg injury.
A dominant Gloucester scrum underpinned their bonus point victory, confirming a team transformed following early-season struggles that rendered them anything but play-off contenders.
Robinson kicked Gloucester into a fifth-minute lead, but a patternless opening quarter offered little in terms of clear chances until Bath were undone by a simple attacking play.
The visitors, who saw their former England hooker Lee Mears limp off and replaced by Pieter Dixon, reacted slowly when Gloucester scrum-half Rory Lawson sent a teasing kick into their 22.
And Trinder was quicker in thought and deed, gathering a kind bounce to touch down wide out before Robinson rifled over the touchline conversion attempt for a 10-0 advantage.
Bath needed a quick response, and it arrived five minutes later when Williams collected an exquisite James pass, broke Gloucester's defensive line and put Banahan over.
Lapses
Barkley's conversion meant Bath were up and running, only for a couple of sloppy defensive lapses to allow Gloucester further scoring opportunities.
They failed to take the first one when lock Jim Hamilton spilled possession after skipper Luke Narraway broke unmarked from a scrum, but Gloucester did not have to wait long for another chance.
Robinson rolled a kick behind the Bath line to nobody in particular, yet Dixon made a hash of claiming possession that would have given Bath a 22-metre drop-out, and Doran-Jones capitalised.
Referee Greg Garner required confirmation from the video official before awarding the try, and although Barkley then slotted a penalty - his 17th successive Premiership kick without missing - Gloucester were good value for their 15-10 interval lead.
It took Bath just two minutes of the second period to wipe out that advantage when Biggs sliced through two weak tackles for a try that owed everything to Gloucester's defensive generosity.
But another Robinson penalty edged Gloucester back in front during an increasingly-fractious contest.
Gloucester had regained the ascendancy following Biggs' sucker-punch score, and an eight-point surge in four minutes put them back in charge.
Robinson's third successful penalty made it 21-15, and then after a break by Lawson, quickly recycled possession gave Voyce a simple run-in, with two colleagues unmarked outside him.
There appeared no way back for Bath, all the more so after Barkley's exit, and Gloucester knew it was a just a case of playing out the final 10 minutes.
Bath looked to have had the final say when James converted Williams' try, but Voyce then claimed his second score and Gloucester could celebrate a five-point maximum.
