Gloucester bank on Socino to save face

By ROGER PANTING

Dragons…………..21pts

Tries: Basham 18, Rosser 26, Keddie 40

Conversions: S Davies 18, 26, 40

Gloucester ……..26pts

Tries: Socino 13, 62, 67; Rees-Zammit 36

Conversions: Barton 13; Twelvetrees 62, 67

SANTIAGO Socino scored a hat-trick of tries as Gloucester narrowly avoided the ignominy of being the first side to lose to Dragons at Rodney Parade this season.

On the hour mark, Gloucester were trailing 21-12 against a side who had conceded a mammoth 170 points in their last three outings but on this occasion were fired-up to produce their best performance of the season.

Despite missing half a dozen of their leading players, Gloucester still fielded a strong side and they looked in real trouble until their pack took control with the yellow card for Elliot Dee eventually proving decisive as the visitors scored 14 points in the absence of the Dragons' hooker.

Early errors from Jared Rosser and Gonzalo Bertranou, a fumbled up and under and a hospital pass to Sam Davies, gifted Gloucester an excellent attacking platform and the visitors took their chance when Santiago Socino finished off a forward drive. A mistake from Louis Rees-Zammit then brought derisory cheers from a lively crowd. The Welsh international wing kicked the ball straight out to lose 40 metres and he was made to pay when from the resulting line-out the home forwards built up a head of steam for Taine Basham to force his way over.

Basham, with the rampaging Harrison Keddie, continued to be heavily involved in an intriguing battle between two talented back-rows with Jordy Reid and Ben Morgan displaying their capabilities by combining efficiently to make 50 metres.

However it was Dragons, buoyed by their second biggest attendance of the season, who scored the next try. Forwards and backs were in tandem to give Rosser the chance to show considerable determination to secure the touchdown.

Gloucester had a couple of chances to show their forte of close-range lineout drives but without the accuracy of Jack Singleton's throwing and the expertise of Ed Slater and Lewis Ludlow, this aspect of their game malfunctioned.

Despite this, they reduced the arrears when well-judged passing from their three-quarters provided Rees-Zammit with an easy run-in but Dragons had the final say of the half.

With the clock in red, Sam Davies launched a cross-field kick to Jonah Holmes, whose run put the defence on the back foot and when the ball was recycled, Davies made a neat break to send Keddie in under the posts. Davies converted for a 21-12 interval lead.

Danger man: Santiago Socino after scoring Gloucester's first try

PICTURE: Getty Images

The second half began with a superb 60m run from Aaron Wainwright and the hosts should have made it count but a stray pass prevented them from capitalising.

The Gloucester pack raised their game to win a succession of penalties to bombard the Dragons' line but somehow it remained intact, aided by the French referee's reluctance to remove any cards from his pocket.

Eventually his patience was exhausted with Dee paying the penalty for repeated team infringements which allowed Socino to crash over for his second.

Dee's absence proved costly as moments later, Socino repeated the dose to seal a hard-fought victory for Gloucester, who finished second in their pool, two points behind Lyon.