Great win, but Glaws can still improve

How encouraging that after their first win of the season, Gloucester coach Nigel Davies should admit that his side's performance was only 60 per cent of what it could be. It makes a change from the sort of coaching comment that suggests all in the garden is rosy and all setbacks are down to bad luck.

Current evidence suggests that winning at London Irish might not be as difficult as winning at a few other Premiership venues this season, but nothing should take the credit away from Gloucester’s 40-31 triumph.

Freddie Burns took the eye with 25 kicked points, but it was essentially a team effort that deserved the result.

Davies told the BBC: "Our commitment and resilience is 100% - our performance level is about 60 to 65 per cent and we know that. We can still get a lot better … we can build on the spirit and commitment.

"One of the strengths we have in the squad is that we can put out a very competitive 23-man squad who can all make a big contribution.

"Freddie [Burns] was fantastic today. He's still young although he appears to have been around for a long time. He's really enthusiastic and it's great to work with somebody like that.

“We didn’t control the game for long enough periods, but the resilience is fantastic and every one of the boys put their body on the line for Gloucester rugby today.

“In the past maybe heads have dropped and the team would have surrendered, but this team isn’t going to do that any more and they were fantastic in the way they came back.

“It was very important that we won this game today.”

Topsy Ojo scored a try and Steve Shingler put over three penalties as Irish started well, but Ben Morgan got his first cherry and whites try and Burns’s boot kept them in touch, even when Halani Aulika and Tomas O’Leary scored home tries.

But Glaws finished well and tries from James Simpson-Daniel and Akapusi Qera plus more from the Burns boot gave them the win.

Are we jumping the gun to hear what Davies says and find ourselves agreeing with every word?

Are we being naïve in thinking that he isn’t the type to dish out the all-too-common coaching smokescreen after a game?

Are we being over-optimistic in being convinced that the squad is in hands which can turn Glaws into winners?

Hope not.