Gloucester bounce back

Gloucester got their play-off bid back on track with a bonus point victory over strugglers Newcastle at Kingsholm.

The Falcons last won on Gloucester soil during their Premiership title-winning campaign 13 years ago, but three Jimmy Gopperth penalties kept them in touch until the final quarter.

Full-back Freddie Burns, wing Jonny May, scrum-half Rory Lawson and substitute Henry Trinder scored tries for Gloucester, while Burns slotted two conversions and two penalties for a 15-point haul, before Tim Taylor added the final two conversions.

Newcastle remain just six points above bottom club Leeds Carnegie and they will head home feeling they should have taken something from the contest after they matched Gloucester for an hour.

Gopperth missed an early penalty chance for Newcastle, and Gloucester's hopes of settling early into the contest were dented when fly-half Nicky Robinson limped off nursing a hamstring injury after just seven minutes.

Regular goalkicker Robinson's absence was immediately felt as Burns failed with two penalty attempts in two minutes, and Newcastle shaded a scoreless opening quarter in terms of territory.

That phoney war ended as Burns slotted a penalty before bursting through Newcastle's midfield defence for a try by the posts that he also converted for a 10-0 lead.

Hesitancy

There was still a degree of hesitancy about Gloucester's play, though, before indiscipline surfaced before the break and Gopperth punished them.

The New Zealander slotted three penalties during a damaging six-minute spell for the home side, putting Newcastle firmly back into contention as they trailed just 10-9 at half-time.

Burns required treatment early in the second period when he fell awkwardly after challenging for possession from a steepling kick, yet he quickly dusted himself down to land his second penalty.

Gloucester spent a long passage of play penned deep inside their own half, but they found another gear after a raft of replacements.

Trinder took them clear on the scoreboard when he collected Narraway's defence-splitting pass, and then Gloucester put an emphasis on all-out attack following a yellow card for Newcastle number eight Ally Hoog.

And the sin-binning proved costly as Gloucester made them pay with a try in the corner from May that Taylor converted from the touchline.

And with a bonus point touchdown now up for grabs, the Falcons folded, allowing Lawson to round off more good work by Narraway for a score which completed a profitable afternoon for Gloucester.

The Cherry and Whites, smashed 53-15 by Quins last Saturday, stay third in the table and on course for a play-off place.