Saracens 19 Gloucester 16

After leading the game from the second minute to the 67^th, Gloucester

have to be pretty disappointed to come away with just a bonus point from Vicarage

Road.

But given the injuries which ripped through the Cherry and White camp in the

week, Bryan Redpath must have been pleased by the response he got from his

forwards in particular, who featured a prop in his first Guinness Premiership

start and two players out of position.

There could be more disciplinary problems for Gloucester,

after Steve Borthwick left the field with a nasty cut to his face in the 12^th

minute, Olivier Azam’s boot appearing to be responsible.

The incident aside, Redpath was still desperately disappointed his side

could not hold out for the final quarter after they nullified the Saracens

effort for huge swathes of this game.

Nicky Robinson will probably need a new pair of boots after his kicking

effort, both from hand and at the posts, but the fly-half would still have

loved to see a 78^th minute drop goal sail between the posts instead

of just to the left off his unfavoured right boot.

The vital score for the home side came after their only period of sustained

pressure in the game, which had up to the 60^th minute been

concentrated in the middle third and left to a kicking dual which Robinson was

winning, the usually unflappable Glen Jackson missing two relatively standard

efforts for a man of his accuracy.

It was no coincidence that the move came after Brendan Venter had exercised

his considerable front-row muscle, replacing all three including Gloucester

old boy Carlos Nieto.

And it was one of the replaced trio who proved the try-scorer, hooker Schalk

Brits just reaching the line after some excellent work from scrum-half Justin

Marshall another replacement and both of whom would probably start for

Gloucester were they wearing cherry and white.

Redpath just does not have that strength. Scott Lawson and Pierre

Capdevielle were able fresh blood but not of the quality the Saracens have at

their disposal.

Gloucester got the best possible of starts when a fine Robinson touch-finder

was stolen at the line-out by stand-in lock Peter Buxton. Rory Lawson was at

full stretch to collect but did so, dummied and went over after just two

minutes.

The game settled into a familiar kicking pattern, referee Martin Fox

obliging with penalties when either side were in range.

The pattern was only interrupted in the second half on two occasions, the

first a Gloucester break when skipper Mike Tindall found a turn over tackle

from a Robinson high ball. The fly-half followed up in acres of space but just

did not have the extra gear, Alex Goode making the fine cover tackle. Gloucester

stole the subsequent line-out, but Akapusi Qera got his body position all wrong

and was turned over.

That was in the 48^th minute, and Gloucester

were not back in striking distance until desperate to score late on.

A marked improvement on last week, but a long way to go for the Cherry and

Whites.

Full-time: Gloucester slip to a disappointing defeat in a game they led from the second to the 67th minute. Robbo had a drop goal chance late on with his right boot which missed. But a much better performance, particularly from the forwards given the way they were turned over last week. A bonus point was probably the best they could have expected before the game, and that was what they got.

70 mins: Ten minutes of pressure finally tells with a try from Shalk Brits, the replacement hooker. Good work from Marshall in the build-up, Gloucester just ran out of men in the end. Still very much a game on here at Vicarage Road.

60 mins: Still not much action. It's a kicking dual and Nicky Robinson looks like he is enjoying himself. Saracens have the territory at the moment, but Gloucester are holding firm. One fine try-saver from Rory Lawson on Brad Barritt, drawing a knock-on. Scott Lawson on for Azam to try and sure up the line-out.

50 mins: The Cherry and Whites have maintained their lead but should be further ahead - Nicky Robinson should have gone over int he corner but for a fine tackle by Alex Goode after a turnover hit by Mike Tindall. Jackson drop goal cancelled out by a long range Robbo penalty for the points that have been scored.

Half-time: Gloucester down to 14 after Rory Lawson is binned for killing the ball, after skipper Mike Tindall had been warned. But Gloucester lead by four after another Robbo penalty. Jackson missed the one from the Lawson yellow card too. Bryan Redpath would definitely have taken this half-time score before the game.

30 mins: The fly-halves have swapped penalties. Little action in either 22. Looking like a tight game. One break from Fuimanono-Sapolu, but nothing else worth a mention.

20 mins: Another Jackson penalty the only score of an uneventful 10 minutes. Both teams feeling each other out, Gloucester edging the territory, Borthwick off for blood.

10 mins: Fine start for Gloucester! A Rory Lawson try with two minutes on the clock puts the Cherry and Whites in front - 7-0 with the Robinson conversion. Try came from a fine Robbo kick to touch and a great line-out steal from, you guessed it, Peter Buxton. Gloucester look fired up, although Jackson has pegged it back from a dodgy penalty.

Saracens: A Goode; N Cato, K Ratuvou, B Barritt, C Wyles; G Kackson, N de Cock; R Gill, F Ongaro, C Nieto; S Borthwick (capt), M Botha, W van Heerden, A Saull, E Joubert. Reps: S Brits, M Aguero, R Skuse, H Vyvyan, M Owen, J Marshall, D Hougaard, R Haughton.

Gloucester: T Voyce; J Simpson-Daniel, M Tindall, E Fuimanono-Sapolu, L Vainikolo; N Robinson, R Lawson; A Dickinson, O Azam, P Doran-Jones; P Buxton, A Brown; A Strokosch, A Qera, A Eustace. Reps: S Lawson, S Knight, P Capdevielle, A Satala, A Hazell, D Lewis, F Burns, C Sharples.

Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

Attendance: 7,777