Premiership: London Welsh 10-46 Gloucester

England winger Jonny May was among the tryscorers for resurgent Gloucester

Gloucester picked up their first away win of the Premiership season with a 46-10 thrashing of London Welsh at the Kassam Stadium.

The Cherry and Whites scored 31 points in the last 15 minutes to pull clear of the Exiles, picking up a bonus point with five tries and a penalty try.

Mark Atkinson with two, Henry Purdy, Charlie Sharples and Jonny May crossed, with Ben Pienaar replying for Welsh.

Greig Laidlaw landed four conversions and a penalty for Gloucester.

Billy Twelvetrees' penalty and a James Hook conversion added to the visitors tally, while Olly Barkley notched a conversion and a penalty for his side.

Welsh were prominent in the opening exchanges, at odds with their winless start, and could have moved ahead had Barkley slotted an early penalty attempt.

Wales stand-off Hook then pushed a brace of kicks wide for Gloucester while both sides lost personnel to injury with the hosts' Richard Thorpe and Gloucester's Dan Murphy both withdrawn.

Eventually though the deadlock was broken by Purdy on the back of fine work by Dan Robson and May, and Sharples went in soon after to extend the lead.

Piennar, introduced for Thorpe, crossed to steady the home side and Barkley's penalty had them within two at the break.

However Gloucester were ruthless in the second half, denying Welsh any further points.

Twelvetrees's penalty nudged Humphrey's side further ahead, and after Taione Vea was sin-binned, Laidlaw added his own three pointer.

Atkinson's brace, helped by May's break for the first and his own pace for the second was followed by the provider turning scorer from a Laidlaw chip to seal a bonus point.

Dean Schofield's yellow card, which resulted in a penalty try, added insult to injury for Welsh and lifted Gloucester up to fifth.

London Welsh coach Justin Burnell:

"At 12-10 at half-time we were more than in the game but crucially decisions went against us.

"The penalty count was 20-7 against us and I can't explain why. It seems that we are doing certain things and are penalised and the opposition are doing the same but they are not.

"It's easy to look at the scoreboard and we will have to learn to play for 80 minutes not 60, but it seemed the game changed on its head almost on a flip of a coin."

Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys:

"For the first 60 minutes, we were disappointing and were showing no improvement.

"We were a little bit inaccurate in the set-pieces and we were getting increasingly frustrated but all credit to London Welsh for putting us under pressure.

"I'm delighted with the five points and that little bit of magic from Jonny May provided the spark to cause them problems.

Let's be judged after the first six games but we have an awful long way to go as we've got to be a lot better than we were tonight if we are going to trouble the best."

Friday's teams

London Welsh: Jewell; Crane, Reynolds, May (capt), Scott; Barkley, Weepu; Reeves, Britton, Vea; Schofield, Down; McCaffrey, Thorpe, Stedman.

Replacements: Morris, Cahill, Gilding, Corker, Pienaar, Lewis, Roberts, Lewis.

Gloucester: Cook; Sharples, Purdy, Twelvetrees (capt), Jonny May; Hook, Robson; Murphy, Hibbard, Afoa; Stooke, Palmer; Kalamafoni, Kvesic, Morgan.

Replacements: Lutui, Thomas, Puafisi, Hudson, Moriarty, Laidlaw, Atkinson, Isaacs.