| Gloucester: (7) 24 |
| Tries: Ackermann 2, Thorley Cons: Evans 2, Hastings Pen: Hastings |
| London Irish: (0) 7 |
| Try: Cracknell Con: Jackson |
Gloucester moved up to second in the Premiership with a tough-fought victory over London Irish.
Gloucester prop Ruan Ackermann scored the one attempt of the primary half, edging over from a driving maul to give the Cherry and Whites a 7-0 half-time lead.
Ollie Thorley doubled Gloucester’s benefit, however Olly Cracknell replied to convey Irish inside seven factors.
Gloucester’s Adam Hastings kicked a late penalty, earlier than Ackermann acquired his second to wrap up the win.
This was a gathering of two of the league’s in-type groups, however Kingsholm has proved a tough floor for London Irish through the years. Their final win there got here in 2013, certainly one of solely two through the Premiership period.
Irish discovered themselves within reach of the attempt-line 3 times in the opening phases as they dominated. But the Gloucester defence proved a fortress, forcing Irish into errors and leaving them empty-handed.
Irish then gave away a penalty and Gloucester raced to their 10m line towards the run of play. At the second try at a line-out, they drove ahead and Ackermann went over.
Points have been arduous to come by through the first 40 minutes and whereas Irish broke up the pitch from their very own 22, James Stokes was stopped in his tracks. Gloucester scrum-half Charlie Chapman was additionally expertly held up by Paddy Jackson over the road.
The effectiveness of the Gloucester maul was once more at play as Thorley pushed them additional forward, along with his second attempt in per week. With Irish’s line of defense pulled in and slim, the winger had area to cross because the ball got here vast.
It was the eighth time in the Gloucester 22 for Irish as they lastly acquired factors on the board. Nick Phipps noticed a niche, from which Cracknell dived over.
With one rating in it, Irish have been unable to claw themselves again into the sport and Gloucester – aided by their replacements – made positive of a 3rd straight league win.
Hastings kicked them 10 factors clear, earlier than Ackermann compelled his manner over for his fourth attempt of the season.
Gloucester head coach George Skivington informed BBC Radio Gloucester:
“We knew we would have to work arduous as a result of London Irish are an on-type staff, they’ve accomplished very well recently. We got here into this and I assumed we have been very well matched groups.
“We knew it will be very small margins and customarily talking for those who work actually arduous and also you stick collectively you may most likely get these.
“I assumed that first 20 minutes, our defence was excellent and I assumed that most likely set the tone for the sport as a result of London Irish have scored a variety of tries this 12 months and to maintain them to one all through the sport was excellent. To take that barrage of stress early on was massive.
“I believe the boys have been a bit annoyed at half-time, they did not really feel that we have been fairly maximising the possibilities we acquired.
“London Irish have gotten a great defence so we had to maintain banging the door down. Nothing too strategic simply maintain doing what we have been doing.”
Gloucester: Moyle; Carreras, Kveseladze, Twelvetrees, Thorley; Evans, Chapman; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Balmain, Clarke, Alemanno, Clement, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann.
Replacements: Socino, Elrington, Ford-Robinson, Davidson, Craig, Meehan, Hastings, Seabrook.
London Irish: Stokes; Rowe, Cinti, Van Rensburg, Loader; Jackson, Phipps; Goodrick-Clarke, Cornish, Hoskins, Simmons, Coleman, Rogerson (capt), Gonzalez, Cracknell.
Replacements: Willemse, Gigena, Van der Merwe, Munga, Pearson, O’Sullivan, Hepetema, Redmond.
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).
