Gloucester 16 Chiefs 9

Gloucester 16

Exeter Chiefs 9

Mark Stevens at Kingsholm

Exeter’s wait to book a first-ever appearance in the Aviva Premiership play-offs will have to wait a little bit longer as they were undone by a courageous Gloucester outfit at Kingsholm.

Scoreless at the break following a bone-crunching battle of attrition, it was the home side who prevailed during the second period, claiming a converted score from Olly Thorley, as well as three penalties from Greg Laidlaw.

The Chiefs countered with three penalties from fly-half Gareth Steenson, but it was never enough on a damp and dismal night for Devon’s finest.

With Rob Baxter’s side looking for an immediate riposte following their European Champions Cup exit the week previous, the visitors made just one enforced change to their starting XV from that which went down to Wasps at the Ricoh Arena.

A knee injury to Scottish international Moray Low meant he was forced to sit this one out, so Harry Williams was promoted from the bench to fill the tight-head role, while Carl Rimmer was added to the list of replacements.

Gloucester, like the Chiefs, were also licking their wounds after surrendering their European Challenge Cup crown with a surprise home defeat against the Dragons. They made a handful of changes with prop Yann Thomas coming in for his first Premiership start of the season, while Jeremy Thrush and Paul Moriarty were also included to add some sizeable bulk to the home pack.

Behind, England international Billy Twelvetrees was also back in harness in the midfield alongside Henry Trinder, who was switched last minute from the wing after Mark Atkinson pulled out prior to kick-off. Atkinson’s absence meant Olly Thorley was called up from the bench to earn a maiden Premiership start.

So, with personnel in place on a damp and dreary night at Kingsholm, the opening exchanges were largely restricted to a decent arm-wrestle between the respective packs. Both sides did their best to gain some early ascendancy, but it was more of a mud wrestle, rather than running rugby that was providing the entertainment for the crowd of just over 13,000.

When the game did finally break into acton, it was the Chiefs who offered the first meaningful threat, England international Luke Cowan-Dickie powering his way through the middle of the home defence, only to be turned over just shy of the home line by a plethora of scrambling defenders.

At the other end, the Cherry & Whites looked to counter with an attacking raid of their own. The home pack did the initial donkey work, punching their way deep into the Exeter 22, but when the ball was spun wide to the right, former Cornish Pirates back Rob Cook slipped underfoot, just as he looked set to turn on the after burners and head for the line.

With defences ruling the roost with some power-packed tackling, the Chiefs again threatened just before the break when having won a penalty after Ben Morgan had infringed at a ruck, they used the resultant line-out to lay siege on the Gloucester line.

No.8 Thomas Waldrom - as he has done so often this season and last - was conducting matters from the back of a driving maul, but when that was halted, Julian Salvi took up the charge, feeding Will Chudley who spilled the ball as he closed in on his intended target.

And the slippery conditions were to hamper the Chiefs again just moments later, as this time Olly Woodbury’s decent break saw him break clear of the cover only to knock the ball on under pressure from the home defence.

HALF TIME GLOUCESTER 0 EXETER CHIEFS 0

With little to trouble the scoreboard operators during an attritional opening half, the second period began with a flurry of points as both sides looked to up the tempo from the outset.

Master marksman Steenson broke the game’s deadlock with a penalty just two minutes after the restart, only for Gloucester to counter almost immediately with the opening try of the night.

England No.8 Ben Morgan instigated the home charge as he ploughed his way through the middle of the Kingsholm mud - and when the ball was eventually worked, initially down the right, then back across to the left flank, there was Thorley to lap up the pass and cross for the score which Laidlaw duly converted.

Exeter’s response to the setback was to quickly work themselves back into enemy territory, gleaning another penalty for Steenson after Gloucester lock Tom Savage had been singled out by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys for infringing at a ruck.

But instead of igniting a charge from the visitors, the Chiefs went into their shell somewhat. They were lucky to escape a potential intercept try for Henry Trinder just before the hour mark, but they could do little from stopping Laidlaw extending the home side’s lead with penalty from wide on the right after James Short had failed to release at the tackle area.

Nip and tuck, the battle of the boot saw Steenson and Laidlaw trade a penalty apiece to leave just a point between the two sides.

But, as the game rumbled into it’s final quarter, so it was the Chiefs who began to implode somewhat with their discipline.  A succession of penalties allowed Gloucester to either clear the danger when penned back in their own half - or when it was in Exeter’s half, they thumped the ball to either corner with increasingly regularity.

As home pressure began to mount, the Chiefs were dealt a double blow when England star Jack Nowell was yellow carded for a tip tackle on Thorley - and up stepped Scotsman Laidlaw to thunder over a penalty, much to the acclaim of the notorious ’Shed End’.

Still in touching distance at that stage, the Chiefs huffed and puffed in attack, but there night was summed up when Short broke clear of the Gloucester cover late on only to fumble the ball when he looked poised to cause real damage. The Kingsholm faithful gave Short little hiding space, mocking him with a chorus of ‘donkey’ noises and cheering the home heroes as they patted one another on the backs.

Although the Chiefs refused to throw in the towel, another late Laidlaw penalty extended Gloucester’s grip on proceedings, meaning the visitors had to land a converted score to claim a share of the spoils. They tried their hardest to rescue something, but in the end it wasn’t to be and it was the Cherry & Whites who triumphed.

Gloucester: T Marshall; R Cook, B Twelvetrees, H Trinder, O Thorley; J Hook, G Laidlaw (capt); Y Thomas (N Wood 57), R Hibbard (D Dawiduik 62), J Afoa (P Doran-Jones 56); T Savage, J Thrush; R Moriarty, M Kvesic (J Rowan 65), B Morgan. Replacements (not used): E Stooke, C Braley, E Creed, W Heinz.

Try - Thorley; Conversion - Laidlaw; Penalties - Laidlaw (3)

Chiefs: L Turner (J Short 25-33, 40); J Nowell, H Slade, I Whitten (M Campagnaro 70), O Woodburn; G Steenson (capt), W Chudley; B Moon (A Hepburn 65), L Cowan-Dickie (J Yeandle 57), H Williams (C Rimmer 74); M Lees, G Parling (D Welch 33); D Armand, J Salvi, T Waldrom (D Ewers 62). Replacement (not used): D Lewis

Penalties - Steenson (3)

Yellow Card: Nowell

Referee: C Maxwell-Keys

Attendance: 13,390