Steve Bates fielded a new back row for the trip to the south west, and Hall Charlton and Gcobani Bobo came into the back line. Micky Young wasn't fit enough for the bench in the end, his place being taken by Chris Pilgrim.

The Shed faithful had barely had time to drink up and take their seats before the hosts came forward and took advantage of a disorganised and stretched Newcastle defence to put Charlie Sharples in on the right for a try converted by Robinson.

After that we took control through some powerful forward play, particularly from a storming Filipo Levi who made a load of metres today, while Jimmy Gopperth and Tane Tu'ipulotu linked up well in midfield.

Gopperth kicked two penalties to reduce the deficit to a single point before Robinson gave the Tractor Boys some space with a kick of his own, although he missed his next attempt.

A couple of promising attacks ended through knock-ons by Bobo and Gopperth, but Glasstr struggled to clear and we almost drove over just to the right of the posts, Jon Golding going particularly close.

With the last play of the half, our clearest chance was lost when Tim Swinson dropped the ball on the left with Tom Biggs waiting for the scoring pass, although I could've sworn the ball went backwards.

So we could've been ten or 15 points up at half-time, instead of four down at 10-6. Still, another 40 minutes to rectify that.

But after an initial break by Josh Afu towards the 22 supported by Danny Williams, the Falcons were on the back foot for most of the second half. What are they doing to the players at half-time this season?

Maybe it was something in the Kingsholm air today, as referee Rob Debney somehow spoiled a good first-half performance with an absolute shocker in the second. Listing the most obvious – two knock-on against us that clearly went backwards, and another at a Gloucester ruck when I didn't even see a black hand touch the ball.

But even when we managed to get hold of the ball we were unable to make any progress, Gopperth being charged down twice from close range, and there were plenty of real infringements. Indeed, if there were as many as the referee claimed, it's a wonder we never had a player sent to the bin.

Robinson took full advantage with three more penalties and a drop-goal.

Finally with ten minutes left we got our first penalty of the second half and went for the corner, mounting our first sustained attack since the interval. Our pack, now reinforced with Micky Ward, Matt Thompson and Mark Sorenson, attempted to drive for the line

It was replacement full-back Alex Tait however who found a gap in the Gloucester defence on the left for a consolation score, and with Gopperth having been taken off for Rob Miller, the youngster converted.

A penalty or drop-goal now and we could steal a bonus point, but fielded a kick Tait knocked on and suffered the Shed's laughter, just compounding our miserable second half.

Robinson's final penalty with the last kick of the game sealed a 25-13 win for the Cherry 'n' Whites.

Although we did score points in the second 40 for once today, by my reckoning that is now five second half collapses in ten league games this season. At Bath we were galvanised at half-time, at Irish we competed and hung on by our fingertips – where was that fighting spirit today? Or last week, for that matter?

Is it going to be like this all the time with Bates? Lose a load of games, win a few in a row, then lose a load more before another few wins? The end result league-wise will probably be little different to most of those under Andrew and Fletcher.

We aren't going to be relegated this season, but that is not the limit of supporters' ambitions, and we know it is not the limit of Thompson's.

Keep going like this, despite Bath and Irish, and surely action will have to be taken in the summer.

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