Kingsholm must wait longer for the credible team they used to know. If not now, when, they would have been within their rights to ask. All the stars seemed aligned for a tilt at the play-offs, another home fixture against a side of questionable motivation all that stood between them and a meaningful fixture in the final round. No matter that it was Bath visiting – all the more reason, in fact, for them to be inspired.
Instead it was Bath, ravaged of late and on the brink of another storm from their owner, who rose to the occasion, maintaining the curious recent pattern in this derby of victories for the away side. Six tries rained down on Kingsholm, with a mere two in reply. Gloucester’s hopes for that play-off place have gone.
“We let the supporters down,” said Johan Ackermann, whose first season in charge has yielded much promise. “We had everything to play for but we’re not ready [for the play-offs]. We’ll keep on fighting till we get there.”
Gloucester have, though, basically qualified for Europe, barring implausible developments in the Top 14. Perhaps the glimpse of excitement it has afforded them, along with the prospect of the European Challenge Cup final in a fortnight, was enough to distract. For they were horribly distracted by something.
It was not unreasonable to think that New Gloucester might, finally, have risen above the bewildering inconsistency that has dogged them for so long, or at least to have risen above it at home. True, it was not long ago since they lost here to Newcastle – who are assured of a first appearance in the play-offs with this defeat – but they had dispatched them in the European Challenge Cup semi-final last weekend, all but securing that place in Europe. With a third home match in as many weeks and a play-off place still very much within their grasp, even the sceptics would have been confident of an authoritative start in this most ancient of rivalries.
Instead the Kingsholm faithful were plunged back into the sort of chaos it has been their curse to endure for so long. Worse still, Bath surged through the numberless gaps. They had a bonus-point fourth try well before half-time.
Tom Dunn started it all after Matt Banahan, who will be a Gloucester player next season, had galloped down the left. A Lewis Ludlow try in reply was disallowed, quite harshly, and soon Gloucester were two tries down. Rhys Priestland put Francois Louw through a hole and was on hand to take the return pass for a 14-point lead in as many minutes.
Billy Twelvetrees’ penalty put Gloucester on the board at the start of the second quarter, but Bath had their third almost immediately, Charlie Ewels intercepting to put Aled Brew away. Ed Slater scored Gloucester’s first try on the half-hour after Jake Polledri and Jason Woodward made inroads on either flank. All that did, though, was to pave the way for a brilliant solo try by Tom Homer, who beat three on a 60-metre slalom to the line.
A Twelvetrees penalty just before half-time pulled Gloucester back to 26-13 down but, if they had serious designs on being a serious team, they needed a response. It did come, a fabulous pass from Ben Vellacott putting away Woodward after a fine run by Ben Morgan. A serious, serious team, though, would have pressed on from nine points down with over half an hour to play at home. Gloucester, alas, are not yet that.
Five minutes later, after a prolonged assault by Bath, Priestland’s long pass found the monstrous Cooper Vuna on his own against little Vellacott. The replacement scrum-half stood no chance.
Gloucester chased and Bath duly profited further in the final quarter. Twelvetrees forced a crazy pass in his own 22 and James Wilson seized it for a simple run to the line.
How Bath enjoyed pricking the latest Kingsholm bubble. They thought their season was over but now a big win at home to relegated London Irish next weekend could even snatch them a place in Europe, too, pending other results. Gloucester, meanwhile, travel to mighty Saracens. It will be no more than a rehearsal for the European Challenge Cup final against Cardiff in Bilbao a week later. They may yet end the season with silverware but it felt well out of reach here.
Exeter march on and show no sign of letting up in victory over Sale