The morning of the game looked hairy due to the announcement of a pitch inspection, although the ground managed to thaw enough to allow the game to be played, and a rogue text message saying Carl Hayman and Tim Visser were injured proved incorrect as both took part in the warmup and Hayman started his first Premiership match.

The Falcons went ahead after only a few minutes with a penalty by Jonny Wilkinson, his first league points of the season, but slack tackling on the right of the posts almost let Gloucester in until a last-ditch tackle by Mathew Tait.  However the ball was brought left and as we ran out of defenders Iain Balshaw scored the opening try, Ryan Lamb converting.

Wilkinson’s second attempt at goal, from within our half, almost made it over with good direction but fell just short of the posts, but the Falcons seemed in the ascendancy with Geoff Parling scoring from close range on the left (and not Toby Flood as the announcer – some boring guy we hadn’t heard before – initially suggested).  Wilkinson’s conversion put the Falcons three points ahead, but Gloucester came back and Flood was forced to make another try-saving tackle.

Referee Martin Fox had an afternoon to forget, and was not helped by a touch judge who decided Tom May catching a Gloucester kick from the 22 whilst still in play warranted a lineout to us a few metres in front of where the kicker had been.  Strange.

But back on topic, and with Gloucester running the ball through their backs and a scoring pass on, Ben Woods was pulled up for a deliberate knock-on and yellow-carded.  With an extra man, the visitors drove forward and Olivier Azam came through a maul to score, Lamb again converting.

In the second half the Falcons tried to break through a strong Gloucester defence but found little joy, the introduction of Brent Wilson and James Grindal for Parling and the disappointing Lee Dickson making no difference.  Our best chances looked to come from the pace of Tait and May, but it was Gloucester who took their opportunities with Lamb kicking a penalty for a seven-point lead.

Tait did have a good chance in the left corner from a break, but the referee ruled that we had infringed earlier in the play and so the opportunity went begging.  With more than a quarter of an hour to go, from a good position Wilkinson elected to kick a penalty, when our forwards had looked OK from lineouts, but with plenty of time left why not.

Sean Tomes and David Wilson’s introductions shortly after made little impact and Lamb’s second penalty sealed the points for the away side who return to the top of the table, whilst the Falcons contemplate a fourth league defeat in a row, and a run of one win in five.

So, that’s it for rugby at Kingston Park in 2007.  All that remains for this year is Saracens away, rarely a nice experience on the pitch or off it, except in the Red Lion.

Merry Christmas everybody, and see you all either next week or for the Worcester game on January 6^th.

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