Gloucester bounced back from their humiliating defeat at Sale with a bonus point victory thanks to a tour-de-force from Henry Trinder.
The talented midfielder bagged a first-half brace and laid the platform for Billy Twelvetrees’ second-half try in a stunning display.
Trinder has been on the books at Gloucester since 2008 and was once on Stuart Lancaster’s radar when he was England head coach. He has been blighted by injury over the past three seasons with shoulder and hamstring issues not to mention two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions
Willi Heinz of Gloucester celebrates after scoring their fifth try against Northampton
The gifted 28-year-old seems to have put his injury nightmare behind him and Gloucester have been reaping the benefits.
Last Friday’s 57-point drubbing at the hands of Sale was the nadir of a turbulent period for this under-pressure Gloucester outfit. Their heaviest-ever defeat in the league, in fact.
After last week’s battering at the AJ Bell Stadium, there was always going to be a reaction on their home turf.
And it was Trinder, who conjured one of the tries of the season against Worcester last month, who was the catalyst after 10 minutes. The fleet-footed centre left Luther Burrell and George North for dead 20 metres out and, despite a despairing ankle tap from Harry Mallinder, he rolled over the line to open the scoring at a heaving Kingsholm.
Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees dives to score their fourth try in the second half
Northampton responded emphatically as Piers Francis sent Burrell scything through a gap in Gloucester’s midfield. The powerful centre found Ahsee Tuala with a sublime long pass before the Saints full-back sent Gibson racing over in the corner. Mallinder knocked over the touchline conversion for good measure.
The rest of a half was a hard-fought, if error-strewn affair. Fittingly, Trinder finished the half with another sublime finish as he stepped inside Cobus Reinach’s attempted tackle to score.
The Saints came roaring back after the break, however, as Mallinder raced onto Tuala’s pass to score under the sticks. He converted his own effort it make it 14-10.
The tries were now flowing and Gloucester raced into the lead once more as Jason Woodward rose highest to claim Willie Heinz’s intelligent cross-kick to touch down in the 48th minute. Once again, Williams hooked the conversion attempt. His fourth missed kick of the afternoon.
The yips were seemingly affecting both kickers as Mallinder sent a 53rd minute penalty effort wide of the posts. The Saints fly-half atoned for that miss with a long-range effort on the hour mark.
Northampton’s lead lasted barely a minute as that man Trinder again sparked his side into life as he brilliantly collected Williams’ kick-off and made big yards. Soon after, Twelvetrees blasted through for his side’s fourth try.
It was all one-way traffic now as Heinz broke from a Gloucester scrum and left the Northampton cover for dead to race away for a stunning try from 40 metres out.
That should have been game, set and match but Northampton came storming back as Mike Haywood, who had replaced Dylan Hartley, rumbled over from a driving maul. Replacement Stephen Myler fired over the conversion to make it a five-point game.
But the home side held out for a hard-fought win.