Late try saves Gloucester

James Simpson-Daniel's late try earned Gloucester a 7-5 victory at Northampton.

James Simpson-Daniel's 72nd-minute try earned Gloucester a 7-5 victory against Northampton Saints at Franklin's Gardens.

Simpson-Daniel crossed in the left corner to level the scores before Willie Walker stepped up to land a match-winning conversion from the touchline.

It was rough justice on Northampton, who dominated the first-half but had just hooker Dylan Hartley's early try to show for it.

The result, coupled with Worcester's victory over Bath, puts the Saints back in relegation trouble just a week after their sensational win at Welford Road.

Carlos Spencer was fit to return to the Northampton line-up at full-back with Stephen Myler continuing at fly-half and Bruce Reihana switching to the wing.

Gloucester handed a debut to rugby league convert Karl Pryce, while England duo Mike Tindall and Iain Balshaw were both included by coach Dean Ryan, who watched the action from the stands as he started a 13-week touchline ban.

Despite the wealth of attacking talent on display, a heavy pitch at Franklin's Gardens meant the match was a forward-dominated affair.

Hartley opened the scoring with a try in the fifth minute when his pack pushed him over from close range.

Gloucester struggled to create any field position during the opening half-hour as Myler's varied kicking game allowed Saints to control the game.

But the hosts could not turn their dominance into any further points as the game became a scrappy, error-strewn affair.

Gloucester only began to pose an attacking threat during the second-half when replacement James Bailey was denied by a superb covering tackle from Saints scrum-half Mark Robinson.

With eight minutes remaining the try did finally arrive, Simpson-Daniel racing in from 20 metres after being released by Anthony Allen.

And Walker, just on as a replacement for Ryan Lamb, stroked the conversion to win the match and strengthen Gloucester's hold on a Guinness Premiership play-off spot.