GLOUCESTER 28 SARACENS 23
SUBDUING and overcoming the Heineken Cup champions-elect can now come to define Gloucester's season, believes impressed Nigel Davies.
The Gloucester rugby director told his players the report on their entire campaign rested solely on the outcome of their penultimate regular-season clash against Premiership leaders Saracens.
And the former Wales centre was relieved and delighted his side came through their acid test, to nail down their place in next term's Heineken Cup.
Gloucester cannot now finish lower than sixth place, despite Bath's last-gasp 27-26 victory over Leicester Tigers at The Recreation Ground.
Seventh-placed Exeter trail fifth-placed Gloucester by eight points with the two sides colliding at Sandy Park in the final game of the season on Saturday, May 4.
Sixth-placed Bath cannot overhaul Gloucester, even though they can still finish level on league points with Gloucester – because the Cherry and Whites have a superior win tally.
Northampton's 47-7 hammering of Sale cements the league's top-four finishers, and denies Gloucester a play-off battle.
But any disappointment did not register with the Cherry and Whites, delighted to see off gritty Saracens thanks to Jonny May's smart brace of tries and a score for barnstorming number eight Ben Morgan.
Boss Davies reckons Heineken Cup semi-finalists Saracens could well win Europe's top title – and he said that makes Gloucester's victory all the more impressive.
He explained: "I told the players before the match that this one game could define our season in many respects, and it did boil down to that.
"Not only in terms of pushing ourselves forward and qualifying for Europe, but also the manner of the performance and I think we showed elements throughout our game today that we've seen bits of throughout the season.
"And after the game I've said we've got to become more consistent in certain basics of our game, and if we do that, then this team is very capable.
"But I think it almost is a season-defining game.
"The players were fantastic, the crowd were superb, as they have been all year, and everything came together for us today.
"Ben's try was pretty influential, but I felt throughout the game we played good territory, we put a lot of pressure on them, in their own half, which is traditionally what they are good at doing with other teams.
"So because of that for large parts of the game we were in control.
"But they are a quality side, they could well go on and win Europe this year, so for us to put in a performance like that and get the result is pretty significant.
"We played against a side that has complete belief in themselves, and it's one of the things I told this group of players at the start of the year that we have to show real belief, and I think we saw that."
Gloucester became just the second team this season to score three tries against Saracens in the league, Leicester Tigers the other.
Pace ace wing May stated a strong case for British Lions selection with a smart try double, that will no doubt have impressed the watching coaching envoy Rob Howley.
Forget England's summer tour to Argentina, May is well worth a punt for the Lions test series in Australia.
Saracens had no answers to his raw pace and clinical finishing ability.
He latched onto a smart pass from Henry Trinder and burrowed through three defenders for his first try.
And then he zipped first to a savvy defence-turning grubber from Freddie Burns to claim his second.
Try of the day – and perhaps the game's defining moment – went to fit-again Morgan though.
The bullocking loose-forward cut a shrewd and devastating line on the outside shoulder of Sione Kalamafoni – and sliced Saracens in two, to bound under the posts.
Joel Tomkins claimed a try either side of half-time as the abrasive visitors maintained a constant foothold in the contest.
And Dan Robson's yellow card at the start of the final quarter put Gloucester under huge pressure.
The home side buckled, with Tomkins profiting from Mako Vunipola's great offload to score his second of the day.
But the Cherry and Whites did not break.
The wily home pack wound down the clock with a series of driving mauls that Saracens could do nothing to derail.
And when the Kingsholm eight forced a penalty with time all-but up, Freddie Burns stepped up and blasted three points to seal the deal, and next year's Heineken Cup spot.
Stalwart back-rower Pete Buxton earned the Kingsholm send-off his exemplary 11 years' service fully deserved.
Announcer Graham Spring revealed Dan Robson as young player of the year and Sione Kalamafoni as player of the year, in the supporters' awards.
Man-of-the-moment May grabbed the microphone, chanting 'Bucko, Bucko' – and to a man Kingsholm joined in.
SCORERS:
GLOUCESTER: Tries: May 2 (9, 31), Morgan (61). Cons: Burns 2 (31, 61). Pens: Burns 3 (5, 38, 80).
SARACENS: Tries: Tomkins 2 (22, 69). Cons: Farrell 2 (22, 69). Pens: Farrell 3 (11, 27, 60).
YELLOW CARDS:
GLOUCESTER: Robson (63).
GLOUCESTER: R Cook, C Sharples, H Trinder, B Twelvetrees, J May, F Burns, D Robson, N Wood (D Murphy, 52), K Britton, S Knight (Y Thomas, 66), T Savage (capt) (P Buxton, 70), L Lokotui, S Kalamafoni, A Qera (A Hazell, 65), B Morgan. Unused: T d'Apice, D Lewis, R Mills, M Thomas.
SARACENS: A Goode, C Wyles (J Maddock, 73), J Tomkins, O Farrell, D Strettle, C Hodgson (D Taylor, 55), R Wigglesworth (B Spencer, 69), R Gill (M Vunipola, 52), J Smit (J George, 52), M Stevens (C Nieto, 60), S Borthwick (capt), A Hargreaves (G Kruis, 68), J Wray, W Fraser (J Burger, 16), E Joubert.
REFEREE: JP Doyle.
ATTENDANCE: 15,537.
