 | MATCH SUMMARY Gloucester 28 (13)
Tries: Richards, Boer, Simpson-Daniel
Cons: Mercier (2)
Pens: Mercier (3) Northampton 24 (21)
Tries: Thompson, Clarke, Browne
Cons: Reihana (3)
Pens: Reihana |
Gloucester launched a second-half fightback to beat Northampton in a match littered with yellow cards. Saints led 21-13 at the break after tries from Steve Thompson, Jon Clarke and Damien Browne to one from Peter Richards for Gloucester.
But in the second half Northampton saw three forwards sin binned and the hosts took the lead with tries from Jake Boer and James Simpson-Daniel.
Saints cut the gap to one point late on but a penalty ensured a home victory.
Northampton took the lead when Spencer pounced on a loose Ludovic Mercier clearance and chipped the defence before regathering the ball and passing inside to Thompson, who rumbled over from the 22.
The visitors felt they should have had a penalty try when James Forrester strayed offside at a ruck.
And their sense of injustice was compounded when Gloucester scrum-half Richards went straight down the other end and scored from a quick tap penalty.
Some panicky passing gave Northampton back the lead, Clarke intercepting and score under the posts.
It looked as though their momentum might stall when young hooker Dylan Hartley was sin-binned for a flurry of punches on Patrice Collazo.
But a Spencer interception sparked a sustained Saints attack which ended with Irish second row Browne crossing for their third try, which was again converted by Reihana for a 21-13 half-time lead.
The hosts trimmed the gap to three points straight after the break as Northampton had two men sin binned for taking out jumpers at attacking line outs.
With two front row men off the pitch for Northampton the referee ordered uncontested scrums and from the first of them Boer crossed in the corner for an unconverted try.
With 20 minutes remaining Gloucester took the lead when Simpson-Daniel intercepted and cantered home, with Mercier adding the easy conversion, and within a minute Northampton lost Thompson to a yellow card.
Northampton cut the gap to one point through a Reihana penalty with 10 minutes to go, but Mercier replied in kind for the hosts as Gloucester claimed their third win in four games this season.
Gloucester coach Dean Ryan:
"There were three front rowers on that field, though one of them was playing with a neck injury. "If a player is out on the field not fully fit you have to question that.
"I find the uncontested scrums very frustrating because we should have been allowed to scrum properly. However, we came out on top in the end."
Northampton boss Budge Pountney:
"I'm concerned by the number of penalties given against our team but we're continuously working on this. "I don't want to comment too much on the discipline because we need to look at the video first.
"But this was a game that was in the palms of our hands."
Gloucester: Thirlby, Foster, Tindall, Paul, Simpson-Daniel, Mercier, Richards, Collazo, Azam, Powell, Eustace, Brown, Buxton, Boer, Forrester.
Replacements: Goodridge for Thirlby (75), Thomas for Richards (50), Sigley for Collazo (80), M Davies for Azam (75), Hazell for Boer (75). Not Used: Cornwell, B Davies.
Sin Bin: Thirlby (16).
Northampton: Reihana, Lamont, Clarke, Quinlan, Cohen, Spencer, Robinson, Smith, Hartley, Budgen, Lord, D. Browne, Thompson, Fox, Easter.
Replacements: Richmond for Hartley (40). Not Used: Sturgess, Boome, Soden, Howard, Davies, Mallon.
Sin Bin: Hartley (38), Smith (52), Richmond (53), Thompson (68).
Att: 11,076
Referee: Dave Pearson (Newcastle)
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Interview: Gloucester's Jake Boer