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Page last updated at 17:08 GMT, Saturday, 2 April 2011 18:08 UK

Gloucester 34-9 Newcastle

Gloucester (10) 34
Tries: Burns, Trinder, May, Lawson Cons: Burns, Taylor 3 Pens: Burns 2
Newcastle (9) 9
Pens: Gopperth 3

Rory Lawson scores
Gloucester scrum-half Rory Lawson bursts through the Newcastle defence to scores his side's fourth try at Kingsholm

Gloucester scored 24 unanswered second-half points to boost their Premiership play-off prospects with a bonus-point win over struggling Newcastle.

Freddie Burns kicked a penalty and converted his own try as Gloucester raced ahead but three Jimmy Gopperth penalties made it 10-9 at the break.

A second Burns penalty and a converted Henry Trinder try extended the lead.

And, after the Falcons had Ally Hogg sin-binned, Jonny May and Rory Lawson went over to wrap up the win.

It was an impressive response from the Cherry and Whites, who were thrashed 53-15 at Harlequins last time out, with Lawson's late try securing the bonus point that keeps their noses in front of Northampton in the race for the play-offs.

Defeat left Newcastle still in the thick of a relegation battle, knowing next Saturday's meeting with bottom-of-the-table Leeds will go a long way to deciding their immediate future.

The Falcons passed up on the chance of taking an early lead when Gopperth missed a penalty, while Gloucester had to shuffle their pack when fly-half Nicky Robinson limped off with a hamstring injury after only seven minutes.

Replacement kicker Burns missed with his first two penalty attempts, but finally found his range with his third attempt after May had a try disallowed for a foot in touch.

And Burns soon handed his side a 10-point advantage when he skipped through the Falcons defence to score near the posts before adding the simple conversion, only to see Gopperth reduce the arrears to a single point with three penalties in six minutes.

Burns' second penalty gave Gloucester some breathing space before Trinder took them clear when he burst on to Luke Narraway's defence-splitting pass to score.

The Cherry and Whites then took full advantage of Falcons number eight Hogg being shown a yellow card as May scored in the corner before Lawson rounded things off after more good work by Narraway.


Gloucester head coach Bryan Redpath:
"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"

Newcastle Falcons head coach Alan Tait:
"We just weren't at the races in the second half. We had been so upbeat at half-time, but we didn't finish off the chances and breaks we made.

"At half-time, we said Gloucester seemed to be toiling a little bit, but a couple of mistakes - including a crazy error in defence - they are the kind of things that as a coach you just hold your head.

"We are where we are. We've got four home games to come, and the boys are going to have to pull together."


Gloucester: Burns, May, Molenaar, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Voyce, Robinson, R. Lawson, Wood, Azam, Doran-Jones, Hamilton, Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Narraway.

Replacements: Trinder for Burns (58), Taylor for Robinson (6), Pasqualin for R. Lawson (76), Dickinson for Wood (71), S. Lawson for Azam (55), Harden for Doran-Jones (64), Attwood for Hamilton (58), Deacon for Qera (71).

Newcastle: A. Tait, Tu'ipulotu, Vickerman, Eves, Sheriffe, Gopperth, Young, Shiels, Vickers, Murray, Hudson, Swinson, M. Wilson, Welch, Hogg.

Replacements: Fitzpatrick for Eves (67), Catterick for Gopperth (71), Pilgrim for Young (67), Brookes for Shiels (55), Hall for Murray (71), Townson for Hudson (60), Graham for M. Wilson (76), Gray for Welch (60).

Sin Bin: Hogg (68).

Att: 12,931

Ref: Dean Richards (RFU).



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see also
Guscott's predictions
01 Apr 11 |  English
Harlequins 53-15 Gloucester
26 Mar 11 |  Rugby Union
Saracens 24-9 Newcastle
27 Mar 11 |  Rugby Union


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