Agony for Hastings as Saints hold on

By PAUL REES

Gloucester ………………….. 29pts

Tries: Clarke 27, Harris 40, Alemanno 47, Carreras 52

Conversions: Hastings, 28, 40, 53

Penalties: Hastings 59

Northampton Saints……31pts

Tries: Mitchell 4, Langdon 7, 38; Coles 7, Litchfield 64

Conversions: Smith 5, 39, 65

ADAM Hastings had the chance to end Gloucester's losing league run with a long range penalty with the final kick of a match that had at one point looked beyond them but, despite the crowd trying to will it over, the ball held up in the breeze and dropped agonisingly short.

If it seemed to sum up a season in which anything that can go wrong for Gloucester has done, they showed spirit and defiance, led by Ruan Ackermann, after Northampton led 24-7 after 38 minutes, but out of the winning habit, they failed to hold on after taking the lead.

It was Gloucester's final home fixture in a year whose passing they will not mourn. Seven of the other nine had ended in defeats and here, like someone else in red and white at this time of year, they were not lacking in seasonal largesse.

Northampton scored two tries in the first seven minutes, prompted by the England scrum-half Alex Mitchell whose ability to maintain a high tempo saw Gloucester's defence fracture after initially defending the gainline with grim resolution.

Mitchell scored the first, just reaching the line after stretching out his right hand, although it took the officials a fair time to decide that the ball had just touched the paint, and after Mitchell switched play Alex Coles forced his way over.

Gloucester have had a reset after six successive Premiership defeats, going back to basics, starting with defence. Their was a clunky uncertainty about them, epitomised in the opening minutes when Santiago Carreras fielded a high kick, weighed up his options and passed to a stationary Max Llewellyn who, not anticipating the ball, was turned over.

But as soon as Hastings, making his first Premiership appearance for more than seven months, shook off the rust, he manipulated Northampton's defence and after trailing by 17 points just before the break, Gloucester were ahead after 52 minutes.

They took advantage of Rory Hutchinson's absence in the sin-bin for a high tackle on Ollie Thorley after the countdown clock had reached zero. Gloucester's subsequent driving maul was held up, as it had been earlier when they scored their first try through Freddie Clarke after taking play through phases.

This time it was Chris Harris who crossed wide out and when Matias Alemanno scored Gloucester's third try four minutes into the second half, Saints were in danger of losing a match they had been in complete control of.

Gloucester exploited the momentum swing when a Louis Rees-Zammit break led to a try by Carreras and a lead that Hastings increased with a penalty. The crowd found its voice, jeering Courtney Lawes with eyesore chants after a knock-on.

Northampton had already secured a bonus point through Curtis Langdon's two tries in the second quarter, the first after a driving lineout and the second after he had spotted Gloucester's props loitering at a ruck, but the prospect of a second was not enough for a side that only won two league matches on the road last season.

Gloucester won a lineout near the Saints' 22, but the ball was messily tapped back and bounced around before Northampton secured it and set off on a counter-attack. Tom Litchfield broke into home territory and found Mitchell inside him who drew the cover before returning the ball to the wing.

Fin Smith converted from the touchline to put Saints ahead again. Back came Gloucester, playing with width but missing opportunities to put the ball in behind. They messed up another driving maul and Rees-Zammit's chip just eluded him before Lawes infringed and Hastings stepped up.