Relief as Glaws get there in the end

A response was required, and Gloucester came up with it as they beat struggling Newcastle 34-9 at Kingsholm. It wasn’t the most satisfying Premiership win of the season, but after the previous weekend’s Harlequins humiliation another win over the team they beat in the LV= final was just what the coach ordered.

Bryan Redpath was made to wait for his Glaws team to really pull away from the Falcons, but they got there in the end and he declared himself satisfied with they way they bounced back.

He told the BBC: "Newcastle are fighting for their Premiership survival so it was never going to be easy and for 60 minutes there was a lot of tension around the ground.

"It was always going to be tough and credit to them they came with a very simple game plan which frustrated us, especially around their line speed in defence.

"Luke Narraway's pass to Henry Trinder to set up the second try was the vital one that turned the game around at 20-9.

“After last weekend, a win was important for us. They made it tough and there were some nerves on our part, a lot of tension for 60 minutes or so. But it was a workmanlike performance more than anything else.”

The loss of Nicky Robinson through injury didn’t help Glaws settle early, and they had to adjust. But Freddie Burns converted his own try and kicked a pen in the first half, though after three Jimmy Gopperth pens the home lead was only 10-9 at the break.

But another Burns pen and a converted Henry Trinder try gave Glaws the edge before they scored two more while the Falcons were without the sin-binned Ally Hogg, Jonny May and Rory Lawson going over.

Perhaps one of the most telling after-match comments came from Falcons coach Alan Tait: "At half-time, we said Gloucester seemed to be toiling a little bit.”

They were, but for Glaws it was one of those “all right in the end” games which at least gets them back on the right Premiership track and strengthens their hold on a top four place.

Away to third-bottom Sale next weekend they need to maintain that progress before the big one at leaders Leicester, who won at Quins on Saturday, a week later.