VICTORY at Northampton Saints could stand between Gloucester and the Premiership play-offs, concedes Nigel Davies.
Gloucester claimed a losing bonus-point from Saturday's 17-12 Leicester Tigers defeat at Welford Road.
The Cherry and Whites mirrored their losing bonuses at Harlequins and Saracens with a performance of grit and determination – but lacking just enough accuracy for victory.
Freddie Burns slotted four penalties, but it was former Gloucester centre Anthony Allen's try that decided the contest.
The Tigers pummelled Gloucester in the scrummage for the first half-hour – the first time this term any team has deconstructed the Cherry and Whites set-piece so comprehensively.
Rugby director Davies admitted the Kingsholm men will examine their scrum troubles this week, in a bid to hit back to expected levels against London Irish at Kingsholm this weekend.
Gloucester take on Northampton at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday, February 9 – the last of their away-day league battles against traditional top-four sides.
Davies believes the Cherry and Whites could require victory there in order to keep their play-off quest in their own hands.
The former Wales centre explained: "We've done that with the top-three teams now, ended up with a bonus point.
"It's a little bit frustrating to come that close and not get a win at one of them.
"To be in the top-four and to have your destiny in your own hands, you probably need to do that.
"But we'll take the bonus-point, realise we weren't at our best for large parts, but be pleased we were competitive and stayed in the match.
"It could be as crucial as getting a win at Saints to take control of the top-four situation.
"Otherwise you're relying on other results to go in your favour.
"But I'm really delighted with the way this team has come together so quickly, on the basis of what happened last season, and the one thing they've got is true spirit and grit.
"And that's fundamental to any successful team."
Admitting a section of this week will be spent scrutinising the Welford Road scrum shortcomings, Davies backed his pack to strike back without delay.
Gloucester's scrum has been central to their renewed potency up front this term, specialist coach Tony Windo taking John Brain's work forward impressively.
And Davies is confident Saturday's troubles will only prove a minor blot on the set-piece copy book – provided his charges work hard to solve several issues.
He continued: "It was probably a fair result overall, we could have stolen it at the end there, and we've always got that quality in our side there.
"We failed to exit a couple of times and that was costly.
"But to go to Welford Road, not play particularly well, and come out with a losing bonus-point and nearly win, that shows definite progress in us as a team.
"I was disappointed with how we started on the scrum front of course.
"That's been a major weapon for us this year.
"We've got to give Leicester credit for that, but also I'll give credit to my players for being able to handle things and hit back.
"We'll look long and hard at the scrum this week, they came with a specific plan against us and we didn't react to that particularly well.
"I thought we handled that pressure and turned it round a little bit as the game wore on, but that scrum pressure was a big factor.
"We're still on track to come out of this three-game run in good shape.
"We know that means pressing on and pushing hard for a victory against London Irish this weekend."
