Gloucester snatch late win to keep cup dream alive
- Charlie Hynes
- Nov 9, 2018
- 2 min read
Last gasp Gerbrandt Grobler try secures Gloucester a 14-12 victory over Northampton Saints to keep their Premiership Cup hopes alive.
Northampton started the stronger side as Piers Francis crossed within 5 minutes after some quick handling from himself and George Furbank. However, saints fly half James Grayson struggled with the windy conditions missing the conversion and a penalty in quick succession.
Gloucester slowly began to find their feet and got a converted score against the run of play as winger Matt Banahan intercepted a stray Grayson pass to put the hosts 7-5 in front.
On his 200th appearance for the club, Saints hooker Mikey Haywood was forced off the field with a nasty leg injury.
The momentum had now shifted with the home side coming closest after Jason Woodward was tackled short of the line by Fraser Dingwall after a break from deep. However, Gloucester were unable to take advantage of their field position once again with the poor conditions causing handling errors close to the line.
The Saints once again started the better side as Cobus Reinach kicked through after getting on the end of a delightfully weighted from Saints winger Tom Collins. Grayson converted to give Northampton a 12-7 lead.
The vocal Kingsholm crowd gradually became frustrated as Gloucester struggled to threaten the Northampton defence and could be accused of trying to overplay in the damp conditions.
Northampton continued their resilient defence throughout the half, thwarting the home side every time they got inside the Saints twenty-two.
With the clock striking eighty, Gloucester gradually gaining ground through brute force of the forward pack to crash the ball up phase after phase. The Saints defence was finally pierced after second half replacement Gerbrandt Grobler powered under a number of Northampton defenders to score, with the TMO confirming that the ball had been grounded to the delight of a roaring Kingsholm crowd. Twelvetrees slotted the conversion to secure a dramatic win for Gloucester.
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