Gloucester did their bit. A top-four finish remained in reach for George Skivington’s side but they needed one of Bristol, Sale and Leicester to falter, as well as victory over Northampton. It was not to be.
Seven tries in a rousing performance, including a hat-trick for the elusive 19-year-old wing Jack Cotgreave, delighted their relentlessly passionate fans. Ultimately it meant fifth place and it will be Bath plus the aforementioned three to fight for the title.
Phil Dowson’s 14 changes felt like a suitably low-key way to sign off from a disappointing title defence. Fin Smith, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman – Northampton’s four British & Irish Lions – were absent. Music to Gloucester’s ears. Hit by injury and hampered by international call-ups across the season, the Saints still produced one of the more memorable performances of recent years by edging out Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final.
“Ultimately frustrating and disappointing,” Dowson said of the domestic campaign. “We don’t want to be eighth, we wanted to put a defence of our title on the line.
“Something I maybe didn’t spend enough time on was the experience we lost last year, particularly in the forward pack. This year we’ve gained a huge amount from [younger] guys getting minutes and having tough, bitter experiences to learn from.”
In a perfect world, the Premiership’s final day would include a relegation scrap as well as a pulsating playoff race, not to mention a properly funded second tier. That feels like an impossible dream (blame the Rugby Football Union, not the clubs) and Dowson’s recently stated fear of the competition “sleepwalking” to another bankruptcy was on the money, if that is the correct phrase.
But there was nothing wrong with the on-field product. The 6ft 4in Cotgreave crossed three times in the first half, although one of those was disallowed. His first try came after three minutes, converted by the Bath-bound Santiago Carreras, before tries by Northampton’s Tom Pearson and Tom Litchfield showed the visitors had come to play.
Cotgreave’s next flying effort was disallowed for a foot in touch, but there was no doubt over his pacy finish on the same wing after 25 minutes. Christian Wade then intercepted a pass on halfway and his prodigious pace made the finish look straightforward. Freddie Clarke soon sent Tomos Williams cantering in for the bonus point and it was 22-14 at half-time, but Bristol, Leicester and Sale were also winning.
Northampton came out firing. The scrum-half Jonny Weimann forced his way over and when Rory Hutchinson stroked over a sweet conversion, there was a point in it. Gloucester’s response was immediate: Carreras’s silky show-and-go set up Cotgreave’s hat-trick. Seb Atkinson then scored the sixth, provoking one of the day’s biggest roars. Order restored for the Shed faithful.
Iakopo Mapu cut the lead to 10 before Wade’s second, the game’s final act, sent the fans wild. The 34-year-old wing, who is off to Wigan Warriors in rugby league, finishes with 92 Premiership tries, joint-second with Tom Varndell, eight behind Chris Ashton. But the playoffs will have to wait.
“We got the job done,” Skivington said of Gloucester’s display. “We got a bit gung-ho and probably played the way Saints wanted to play, but once we got hold of it, took a step back and put a bit of physicality in and played our way, the boys got on it… It wasn’t enough. We had our fingers crossed for a couple of other results to go our way.”
Leicester secured a home semi-final with a 42-20 victory over bottom-placed Newcastle at Welford Road. The Tigers were always expected to secure second spot against opponents with just two league victories all season and ran in six tries to book a date with third-placed Sale next Saturday.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the 17th minute through a Brett Connon penalty from in front of the posts but Leicester’s response was swift as they took the lead two minutes later when good hands from Joseph Woodward and Freddie Steward led to the back-rower Hanro Liebenberg stepping inside to score, with Handre Pollard converting. Further tries followed for Josh Bassett, Solomone Kata, Joe Heyes, Matt Rogerson and Ollie Hassell-Collins. Connon landed a second penalty and two conversions after late Falcons tries for Ollie Leatherbarrow and Sammy Arnold.
Michael Cheika, the Leicester head coach, said: "I'm really pleased for the fans, that they get another opportunity to see the team this year, and for the players to have a chance to play in front of their people and their families here next weekend. Obviously, it's a semi-final of the Premiership, it'll be a tough battle and that'll be good."
Sale booked their place in the playoffs after they were pushed all the way by second-bottom Exeter in an enthralling 30-26 contest at Sandy Park.
There seemed little doubt over the Sharks’ destiny at half-time – when they led 20-5 - but Chiefs got within four points with just over two minutes left. However, the visitors hung on.
Saracens overcame a heavily weakened Bath but their limp 36-26 victory was not enough to secure a place in the playoffs. Bath had already booked a home semi-final on Friday, enabling them to pick an entirely new matchday 23 to the one that defeated Lyon in the Challenge Cup final last weekend, and they were duly dispatched. But victories for Sale and Bristol meant a top-four finish was out of Saracens’ reach and they finished a disappointing campaign in sixth.
Bath's head coach, Johann van Graan, said: "Bristol are a good side … We played them a few weeks ago in the Principality so I think the beauty of a semi-final is, it doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter what happened before, it's a new venue, new ball, new referee, two totally different teams and it's the knockouts. It's what we've worked the whole season for and we can't wait." PA Media
Asked if promotion and relegation would be healthy for the wider game, meanwhile, Dowson said: “Yes, but I would caveat it by saying what would be really healthy for the game is if at least a single club in world rugby would make some money. It’s difficult to say we want promotion and relegation … when we also want investment from outside in an industry that’s haemorrhaging cash.
“In an ideal world, yes, you’d want that – the jeopardy that’s in the Premier League in football. But the unions are losing money, the clubs are losing money – it’s not sustainable. So I think we need to solve that first.” Bang on the money again.
