GLOUCESTER finished top of the Guinness Premiership after subduing Bath – but there were major injury concerns for watching England manager Martin Johnson.
Gloucester centre Mike Tindall, Bath prop Matt Stevens and his front-row colleague Lee Mears all failed to last the distance of a punishing encounter.
Johnson and Rob Andrew are due to announce a 32-man squad for next month's New Zealand tour
on Tuesday.
And they will be anxious for early fitness updates on a trio expected to start against the All Blacks in Auckland on June 7.
Despite Tindall's early departure, Gloucester kept their shape and discipline to book a home semi-final against reigning champions Leicester next Sunday. Wing James Simpson-Daniel's 34th-minute try shaded an intense encounter, preserving Gloucester's place at the Premiership summit and consigning Bath to third spot. Bath now face a daunting semi-final away to Wasps after a losing bonus point was not enough to preserve second spot.
Gloucester-bound Olly Barkley booted two penalties for the visitors, but a scoreless second period reflected how two committed sides cancelled each other out. England wing Lesley Vainikolo returned for Gloucester after recovering from a hamstring strain. His Test colleague Iain Balshaw moved to full-back instead of Olly Morgan, with No.8 Gareth Delve handed a start against his former club.
Wing Andrew Higgins, centre Tom Cheeseman and prop David Flatman represented a trio of Bath changes following their 66-21 drubbing of Saracens last Saturday, while Barkley lined up against the team he will join next season. And both sides showcased their attacking instincts during a lively opening quarter. Balshaw's pace stretched the Bath defence before his inside pass almost sent Tindall clear, then wing Matt Banahan sprinted clear and was hauled down by a superb last-ditch Balshaw tackle.
Tindall, though, a leading contender to captain England in New Zealand, limped off in the 17th minute and was replaced by Willie Walker, before Lamb rifled over a 35-metre penalty to edge Gloucester ahead.
Territorially, Bath were in complete control, but they encountered a Gloucester defence ferociously committed to knocking them back in the tackle.
Bath looked to have finally broken through in the 25th minute when Stevens rampaged clear, but a stunning Simpson-Daniel tackle denied him five metres from the line.
Stevens was forced off injured as a result of Simpson-Daniel's defensive brilliance, and although Barkley quickly struck an equalising penalty, Gloucester moved ahead before the break.
Slick handling left Bath short of defensive numbers, and Simpson-Daniel did not require a second invitation to cut back inside for a clever try. Lamb could not convert, and despite Barkley landing a second penalty to cut the deficit, Gloucester trooped off two points ahead after a high-octane half played in stamina-sapping conditions.
Gloucester thought they had done enough to seal the deal when Vainikolo stormed clear in space to send substitute Luke Narraway over, but referee Dave Pearson ruled a forward pass during the build-up. Bath threw everything at their opponents during the frenzied closing stages, but they lacked a cutting edge and Gloucester held them out.
Gloucester: Balshaw; Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Allen, Vainikolo; Lamb, Lawson; Wood, Titterrell, Nieto, Bortolami, Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Delve. Replacements: Walker for Tindall (14), Cooper for Lawson (69), Dickinson for Wood (46), Azam for Titterrell (46), Narraway for Delve (55). Not Used: W. James, Foster.
Bath: Maddock; Higgins, Cheeseman, Barkley, Banahan; James, Claassens; Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick, Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Browne. Replacements: Crockett for Cheeseman (64), Dixon for Mears (57), Bell for Stevens (27), Short for Grewcock (69), Goodman for Browne (74). Not Used: Walshe, Berne.
Scorers: Gloucester: Try: Simpson-Daniel. Pen: Lamb. Tries: Bath: Pens: Barkley 2.
Referee: Dave Pearson (Newcastle).
Attendance: 15,500
Wasps continued their blistering end-of-season form by booking a home Guinness Premiership play-off berth with an 45-28 bonus-point win against already-relegated Leeds.
With Bath losing against Gloucester, the outgoing European champions scored six tries in a rampant display as Fraser Waters, Raphael Ibanez, replacement Joe Ward and a treble from England wing Tom Voyce sealed the points.
Wasps will now play Bath in their play-off, with Lawrence Dallaglio still on course to finish his illustrious career with a Twickenham Premiership winner's medal. Dallaglio's men ended their regular-season campaign with nine wins from their final ten league games.
The full article contains 744 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
