The Gloucester ship seems steady now, at least, but it is still just shy of the sort of firepower to hurt Saracens. Gone for the time being is the kind of scoreline that greeted the new regime at Northampton on the opening day. Having put a few points past another giant of the English game last week with their win over Leicester at Kingsholm, here was an intriguing chance to see if they could back it up at the home of another.
They could not quite, but they were competitive. The bonus point they take from the contest will be welcome, but after a good tussle for an hour, Saracens pulled away in the final quarter and might have had a bonus point themselves. They still don’t look quite the slick force of recent times, but there they are, nestled among the leaders as always.
They were galvanised by their galloping, leaping captain, Ali Hargreaves, and a typically neat and focused performance by Brad Barritt on his return from injury. The inside-centre got the better of his opposite number and international rival, Billy Twelvetrees. “People underestimate Brad,” said Mark McCall, his director of rugby and not a man given to hyperbole. “Without question he’s the most competitive person that I’ve come across. I would have him on my international team every day of the week.”
That might prompt a rolling of the eyes among those England fans who prefer flamboyance and the flaxen-haired. In the couple of minutes either side of the 20-minute mark, we were treated to a demonstration of why English rugby is divided over Twelvetrees’ suitability for the troublesome vacancy at No12.
Gloucester’s first try was a beauty. The visitors were building nicely towards Saracens’ 22, when Chris Ashton –another who divides opinion – shot up and in. Twelvetrees’ reaction was instinctive and laser-accurate. His cut-out pass to put Rob Cook away, where Ashton should have been, displayed exactly the kind of distributive skill England are so excited about. Cook rounded Ben Ransom, and Gloucester had a 10-point lead.
Almost immediately, though, Twelvetrees’ lingering flakiness was on show. A slow, lazy chip from the restart was charged down by Chris Wyles, who gathered and cantered home with Twelvetrees in forlorn pursuit. And so all the good work was undone.
Saracens were over again four minutes later, this time with a fine try of their own devising, when some deadly handling had Hargreaves striding to the corner for the 15-13 lead that would stand at half-time. Matters remained tight throughout the third quarter, until Saracens raised the pace on the hour. Barritt sent Hargreaves through the middle, who found Ashton running the kind of support line that no one in England doubts he can. For Barritt, his pass was the garnish on an immaculate performance that seemed to spook the man opposite him. That white 12 shirt is still very much up for grabs.
The penalties started to mount against Gloucester, as Saracens went in search of the bonus-point fourth, but in the end the extra point went Gloucester’s way, Tom Savage high-stepping his way through, long after the clock had turned red. In the context of the start to their season, that point is particularly poignant. But Saracens were comfortable by then.
