High-flying Gloucester notched up their seventh win in nine league outings
with a hard-fought triumph over London Irish.
The west country outfit also further cemented their position at the top of the
league table with a bonus point for scoring four tries, despite being without
five first-choice players because of international duty and suspensions.
The Cherry and Whites started as they meant to go on. Adam Eustace soon
cancelled London Irish's early lead through a Barry Everitt penalty when the
forward crashed over on the left wing after four minutes.
Gloucester built up the momentum through the midfield before Andy Gomersall
switched the run of play. He offloaded to Ludovic Mercier and Terry Fanolua
before Eustace scored and Mercier converted.
Everitt replied with an 11th-minute penalty but Mercier kept the visitors'
13-6 ahead with two further penalties.
Irish managed to claw their way back into contention before the break, though
luck had a large part to play.
Fly-half Everitt again converted a penalty to reduce the deficit to just three
points but the home side then had referee Ashley Rowden to thank for helping
them draw level.
Good work from scrum-half Darren Edwards set Michael Horak up to score but the
full-back lost control of the ball with Gomersall hot on his heels.
However, Rowden saw fit to award a controversial penalty try which Everitt
duly converted to make the score 16-16 at half-time.
Powerhouse forward Junior Paramore again put Gloucester back in the lead when
he muscled his way over the try-line soon after the restart.
But Mercier missed the conversion and Everitt kept Irish's score ticking over
with his fourth penalty after the sin-binning of Robert Todd. But that was where
the Exiles' ran out of steam.
Gloucester's Jake Boer broke loose in the midfield to offload to James
Forrester for a 64th-minute try before flanker Boer scored following the tried
and tested line-out, catch and drive manoeuvre.
Argentinian prop Rodrigo Roncero then rounded off the afternoon with an
injury-time converted try.
The defeat, however, for London Irish is a severe blow.
They have only two Premiership wins under their belt while nearest rivals Bath
and Bristol both picked up significant results at the weekend.
Teams
London Irish: Horak, Rossouw,
Burrows, Venter, Bishop, Everitt,
Edwards, Worsley, Drotske, Halford, Strudwick, Kennedy,
Gustard, Dawson, Sheasby.
Not Used: Barrett, Mapletoft, Cockle, Flavin, Delaney, Hatley,
Durant.
Tries: Penalty.
Cons: Everitt.
Pens: Everitt 4.
Gloucester: Paul, Garvey, Fanolua, Todd, Delport, Mercier,
Gomarsall, Roncero, Fortey, Deacon, Fidler, Eustace, Boer,
Forrester, Paramore.
Not Used: Stuart-Smith, O'Leary, Catling, Frost, Azam, Irish,
Buxton.
Tries: Eustace, Paramore, Forrester, Boer, Roncero.
Cons: Mercier 3.
Pens: Mercier 3.
Att: 8,449
Ref: Ashley Rowden (RFU).
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