By Cherry Picker
January 8 2012
Two penalties were the difference as Gloucester lost 21-15 at Worcester, the sort of fixture they really need to be winning if they are to establish themselves in the top half or even further up the Premiership.
Mid-table seventh, just eight points ahead of second-bottom Wasps, is just not good enough.
Both teams scored two tries and converted one of them, but Wuss for those two extra three-pointers to leave the cherry and whites with a losing bonus point.
Veteran Andy Goode and former Glaws favourite Marcel Garvey scored the home tries, Charlie Sharples and Jonny May replying for Glaws, who had been 10-6 ahead at half-time and looking set for a useful away win.
But with just one win in ten away games, Glaws just can’t travel.
Coach Bryan Redpath told the BBC: “I felt that Freddie Burns directed us around well in the first half, but in the second half our retention of possession was poor and we tried to throw the ball around a bit too much.
"We got a point away from home and we were close today, but close is not good enough. I'm hugely disappointed, but nobody comes to Worcester and gets an easy game so credit to them for that.
"We have to come out fighting against Quins next week, we have nothing to lose, but we need to reflect on this week's performance and make sure our mindset is really focused."
That Quins game is, of course, in the Heineken Cup, followed a week later by a home game in the same competition against mighty Toulouse. As Redpath says, Glaws have nothing to lose, but it would be good when they return to Premiership action in a month to look back on some good Heineken and LV= results.
Mistakes lose matches, and Glaws should know that by now – that is what has given them their awful away record in recent months. Until they reduce the error count, they will continue to struggle to establish themselves where they think they belong.