An injury-time try by Thinus Delport and a last-gasp conversion by Ludovic
Mercier denied relegation-threatened Newcastle victory as Zurich Premiership
leaders Gloucester turned the tables to record a thrilling win.
Rob Andrew's men had been leading the game throughout and looked on course to
create a major upset with Gloucester unbeaten at Kingsholm for two months.
But it was not to be after the Powergen Cup champions ignited a remarkable
comeback in the last half-hour of the game.
Down by 20 points after tries by Joe Shaw, Mark Mayerhofler and James Grindal
as well as a penalty and a conversion from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson,
Gloucester fly-half Mercier broke the Cherry and Whites' duck with a 54th-minute
penalty.
Ten minutes later forward Andy Hazell crashed over the try-line following a
sustained period of attack.
Mercier missed the conversion and with Wilkinson adding a second penalty, a
win still looked out of reach for Gloucester - but the Cherry and Whites had
other ideas.
This time is was the turn of England prop Trevor Woodman, who forced his way
over the try-line to score on the right wing after a pass from Henry Paul.
Mercier duly kicked the conversion and with the number 10 adding a penalty
minutes later the home side knew a win was in sight with just a converted try
needed.
And they did just that. Gloucester applied the pressure to the nervous Falcons
and soon they crumbled. Mercier passed out wide to James Simpson-Daniel who then
fed Terry Fanolua before off-loading to Delport out wide to touch down.
Level at 23-23, Mercier made no mistake this time with the conversion and
handed Gloucester a victory to keep the Falcons rooted to the bottom.
Teams:
Gloucester: Delport, Garvey, Fanolua, Todd, Simpson-Daniel,
Mercier, Gomarsall, Woodman, Fortey, Deacon, Eustace, Cornwell,
Boer, Hazell, Forrester.
Replacements: Stuart-Smith, Amor, Paul, Azam, Roncero, Buxton,
Fidler.
Tries: Hazell, Woodman, Delport.
Cons: Mercier 2.
Pens: Mercier 2.
Newcastle: Shaw, Stephenson, Noon, Mayerhofler, May,
J. Wilkinson, Grindal, Peel, Makin, Ward, Andrews, Grimes,
Taione, Dowson, Vyvyan.
Replacements: Charlton, Godman, Dunbar, M. Wilkinson,
Tries: Shaw, Mayerhofler, Grindal.
Cons: J. Wilkinson.
Pens: J. Wilkinson 2.
Isaacson,
Thompson, Hamilton.
Att: 10,404
Ref: D Pearson (RFU).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook