Carreras-inspired Gloucester win at Northampton

Argentina international Santi Carreras scored 20 points in Gloucester's narrow victory at Northampton.

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton (7) 17

Tries: Furbank, Augustus Cons: Hutchinson 2 Pens: Hutchinson

Gloucester (22) 25

Tries: Carreras 2, Mercer Cons: Carreras 2 Pens: Carreras 2

A Santi Carreras-inspired Gloucester saw off reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Northampton Saints at Franklin's Gardens.

Two tries from the Argentina full-back and one from Zach Mercer earned a hard-fought victory for the Cherry and Whites who gained revenge over Saints following their 90-0 thumping in the same fixture only six months ago.

Tries from England international George Furbank and number eight Juarno Augustus proved to be in vain for the hosts who suffered their third defeat in four Premiership matches.

Gloucester's win means they go up one place into fifth whilst Saints stay seventh.

The visitors started the match on the front foot and after just two minutes Carreras weaved inside from the left touchline to dive in between two tackles to score in the corner.

After losing fly-half Fin Smith to injury early on, Saints responded when Furbank collected his own grubber kick in behind the visitors defence to dot down under pressure.

That was as good as it got for the hosts in the first-half, however, and after Saints winger George Hendy had already made two excellent try-saving tackles, Wales international Freddie Thomas intercepted a slack pass from Saints’ scrum-half Tom James to run clear and intelligently find Mercer to slide in as the visitors regained their lead.

Saints were uncharacteristically sloppy in possession in the first 40 and when Rory Hutchinson’s pass was intercepted by Christian Wade, he ran clear of Ollie Sleightholme’s despairing dive to unselfishly set up Carreras who scored his second under the posts.

In a half played almost entirely in Saints' territory, Carreras thought he had completed his hat-trick seven minutes later when he expertly dived over in the right corner following more good work from Wade but his try was disallowed because of a knock-on earlier in the move.

Eight minutes into the second-half, Saints scrum-half Alex Mitchell returned to the field following a long-term neck injury and with the applause still ringing around the Gardens, South African Augustus charged over to reduce the arrears to eight points.

Mitchell’s introduction ignited a change in the complexion of the match and Augustus’ superb offload allowed Sleightholme to race to the line.

His excellent, acrobatic effort in the corner was correctly disallowed though by TMO Andrew Jackson after the England international lost control of the ball when attempting to ground.

The return of Alex Mitchell from injury was a rare positive on a disappointing day for Northampton

Soon after, Gloucester replacement hooker Seb Blake was sent to the sin-bin leading to his side facing a wave of attacks but some excellent defending meant they did not give up a point while down to 14 men.

With 11 minutes left, Saints thought they had scored their third try to reduce the arrears to three but after weaving through midfield Mitchell’s pass to James Ramm was adjudged to have gone forward by the TMO.

After Sleightholme had a try ruled out for failing to ground for a second time, Carreras dealt a final knock-out blow with a superb kick through the posts from out wide to seal the visitors’ victory and condemn Saints to their first Premiership defeat at home for over a year.

Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton:

"Very frustrating, we weren’t very good in the first half.

"A lot of errors, we got past three phases once. Most of the time we were defending on our own 22, discipline was poor and we couldn’t get anything going and credit to Gloucester who got on top of us and rolled us over.

"I think we were much better in the second half and I think we were much more like ourselves and it's a shame at the moment we can’t get that consistency over both halves. We need to be much better starting games."

On the fitness of Fin Smith after his early substitution:

"He's fine and I want to categorically say to the media that he has not had a HIA.

"He didn't come back on because he couldn't see out of his left eye."

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"I think the boys came out of the blocks really well - really attacked the game.

"I thought the boys kicked the ball at the right times as well, there was a really good balance in that first half.

"In the second half, I thought we were a little bit inaccurate but I thought the resilience and the work rate of the boys was outstanding to keep mopping it up against the best attacking team in the league."

Gloucester captain Lewis Ludlow told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"That's probably the first time it's really, really clicked properly in a half and we're enjoying ourselves out there.

"Our defence when we do it properly in the right areas is brilliant - the way the boys reacted and secured it was fantastic.

"I'd struggle to find two or three people to pick out - it was a real team performance."

Northampton: Furbank (c); Hendy, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Sleightholme; Smith, James; West, C. Langdon, Davison, Munga, Coles, Scott-Young, Pearson, Augustus.

Replacements: Wright, Iyogun, Green, Lockett, Pollock, Mitchell, Dingwall, Ramm.

Gloucester: Carreras; Wade, Llewellyn, Atkinson, Thorley; Anscombe, Englefield; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Fasogbon, Clark, Thomas, Clement, Ludlow (c), Mercer.

Replacements: Blake, Knight, Gotovtsev, Alemanno, Ackermann, Chapman, Harris, Hathaway.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.