| Gloucester (14) 29 |
| Tries: Clarke, Harris, Alemanno, Carreras Cons: Hastings 3 Pen: Hastings |
| Northampton (24) 31 |
| Tries: Langdon 2, Mitchell, Coles, Litchfield Cons: Smith 3 |
Northampton Saints climbed to third in the Premiership as they narrowly beat Gloucester in a see-saw nine-try tussle at Kingsholm.
Saints led 17-0 after 22 minutes following tries from Alex Mitchell, Alex Coles and Curtis Langdon.
Tries from Freddie Clarke and Chris Harris, either side of a second from Langdon, made it 24-14 at half-time.
Matias Alemanno and Santiago Carreras scores put Gloucester in front but Tom Litchfield’s converted try won it.
After Carreras had helped Gloucester follow Saints in earning a try bonus point, centre Litchfield’s 64th-minute try levelled the scores – and Fin Smith added the extras to seize victory.
But, having already landed three conversions and a penalty, Scotland’s Adam Hastings missed a 45-metre angled penalty with the last kick of the match.
Saints now head into Christmas within two points of new leaders Bath, while, despite suffering a seventh straight league defeat, ninth-placed Gloucester’s extra losing bonus point lifts them 10 clear of bottom club Newcastle.
Having trailed 24-7 after 35 minutes, it was a yellow card for Saints centre Rory Hutchinson for a high tackle on Ollie Thorley which brought an instant change in momentum as Gloucester scored 22 unanswered points.
The hosts capitalised immediately before the break with a try from Scotland centre Harris and then further reduced the arrears when Argentine lock Alemanno forced his way over.
Hutchinson then returned but could not shift the momentum back his side’s way as Gloucester took the lead for the first time.
Carreras finished off a flowing move for try number four, converted by Hastings to take his side ahead for the first time, before the Scot added a penalty to make it 29-24 going into the final quarter.
But Northampton broke out of defence when scrum-half Mitchell sent Litchfield racing to the left corner to tie the scores again.
Worcester old boy Smith then knocked over the match-winning conversion from the touchline to regain their lost lead.
Gloucester: Carreras; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Llewellyn, Thorley; Hastings, S Varney; Elrington, Socino, Balmain, Clarke, Alemanno, Ackermann, Ludlow, Mercer.
Replacements: McGuigan, Ford-Robinson, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Clement, Englefield, S Atkinson, Evans.
Northampton: Furbank; Litchfield, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Freeman; F Smith, Mitchell; E Waller, Langdon, Hill, Mayanavanua, Coles, Lawes, Pearson, Graham.
Replacements: S Matavesi, Haffar, Millar-Mills, Munga, Augustus, Braley, Savala, J Garside.
Sin-bin: Hutchinson (40)
Referee: Hamish Smales (RFU)