How long will Gloucester continue to underachieve before the head coach, Dean Ryan, and the club agree to go their separate ways?
This latest setback, their fifth successive league defeat away from the relative comforts of Kingsholm, pushed the Cherry and Whites down to fifth place in the table and in severe danger of failing to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.
True, the club still have to play Cardiff Blues in the EDF Energy Cup final a week on Saturday, but it will surely be the two subsequent Premiership games – against Worcester at home and Wasps away – that shape Ryan's future. Even victory in both of those matches may not be enough for Gloucester to finish in the top four. And, let us not forget, they have also been perennial underachievers in the Heineken Cup while Ryan, who has 25 fully-fledged international players at his disposal, has been at the helm.
It is difficult not to feel a modicum of sympathy for the one-time England No8, who was missing the likes of Mike Tindall, James Simpson-Daniel and Iain Balshaw through injury on Saturday. Furthermore, the final score was somewhat flattering to Northampton, who were winning 26-22 before late tries by Bruce Reihana, who enjoyed a coruscating game, and Paul Diggin not only confirmed a Saints victory, but also denied Gloucester the consolation of a losing bonus point.
"We were lacking a lot of quality, but that's the nature of a squad," said Ryan, with reference to his depleted starting line-up. "Some of it has been compounded by injuries, but some of it we've got to take responsibility for. We lacked any intensity, certainly in the first half, and we paid the penalty in the second half for our performance in the first. There were times when they opened us up quite easily and we just can't afford to do that away from home. We did things that we didn't recognise."
Ryan's response was to make a triple substitution shortly after Ryan Lamb had missed a sitter of a penalty that would have reduced the deficit to 23-22 four minutes into the second half. Off went Lamb, who produced a frustratingly mixed bag of a performance, Anthony Allen and Nick Wood, and on came Northampton old boy Carlos Spencer, Olly Barkley and Carlos Nieto.
To little avail, frankly. As much as the Cherry and Whites huffed and puffed they were kept at a comfortable arm's length by Northampton, whose best chance of qualifying for next season's Heineken Cup, a year after being promoted, will probably be through winning the European Challenge Cup.
Gloucester's sights are set rather higher – and have been for some time. Victory against Cardiff would certainly be well received by Gloucester's marvellous supporters, who were once again in fine voice. One can't help but feel, however, that unless the Cherry and Whites at least reach the Premiership play-off final, then Dean Ryan will have, in modern parlance, 'have taken the club as far as he can'.
Northampton Foden; Diggin, Ansbro, Downey (Mayor 79), Reihana (capt); Myler (Everitt 75), Dickson (Dickens 78); Tonga'uiha (Smith 75), Hartley (Sharman 67), Murray, Lawes (Fernandez Lobbe 61), Kruger, Best, Gray, Wilson (Easter 72).
Tries Diggin 2, Hartley, Reihana. Cons Myler 2, Everitt 2. Pens Myler 4
Gloucester Morgan; Sharples, Watkins, Allen (Barkley 47), Foster; Lamb (Spencer 47), R Lawson (Cooper 73); Wood (Nieto 47), Azam (S Lawson 55), Somerville (Wood 64), James (Bortolami 70), Brown, Strokosch (Hazell 21), Qera, Delve (capt).
Tries Wood, James, Foster. Cons Lamb 2. Pen Barkley.
Referee A Small Attendance 13,426
