Gloucester 22 Leeds Carnegie 21: Back left to reflect on the one that got away

OTLEY-BORN Mike Tindall pulled no punches about Gloucester's second dismal performance in two Aviva Premiership games as they just managed to scramble a first victory over battling Leeds Carnegie at Kingsholm.

Leeds were in front with three minutes to go after 19-year-old fly-half Christian Lewis-Pratt had booted three penalties on his debut, scored a first-half try and converted a second touchdown when centre Luther Burrell grabbed the ball after it hit the post from another penalty attempt.

Gloucester were impressive for eight minutes as No 8 Luke Narraway and prop Alasdair Dickinson surged over and got a third try through centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu.

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But, after the break, the Cherry and Whites squandered numerous chances to lead. The biggest blunders saw full-back Charlie Sharples drop the ball on the left with the line at his mercy, and Narraway took a quick-tap penalty in front of the posts, instead of letting fly-half Nicky Robinson go for goal when Gloucester were behind.

It followed a horrible performance in defeat to Premiership debutants Exeter the previous Saturday, 24 hours before Leeds surrendered meekly at home to Bath.

Eventually, they just got home against Leeds, but England centre Tindall said: "We have to be upfront and honest with each other. Things have to be said.

"If it means that these two games give us a kick up the backside, then so be it."

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Leeds head coach Neil Back said he and his team were disappointed at one that got away.

"We put ourselves in a position to win it," he said. "Should we have won it? Not with the performance of the first half. There were poor tries conceded and Gloucester did not have to work too hard to score.

"But we are really disappointed that our game management in the last five minutes should have been better. I am sure the referee at the end would have been looking for an opportunity to give a penalty. He found one and gave it.

"That's a bit of naivety and, through our review process, we will talk about that and how to seal a game."

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Leeds made five changes from the side beaten 32-16 at home on the opening Sunday of the season by Bath.

Those changes did not include England star Steve Thompson, who started the match on the bench for a second weekend.

Instead, former England hooker Andy Titterrell occupied the No 2 berth to play against one of his old clubs.

Gloucester came out of the blocks firing with a vengeance in the opening 10 minutes.

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In front of England team manager Martin Johnson, wing Lesley Vainikolo set up the first home try with a dash to within 10 metres of the Leeds line before handing the chance to Narraway.

The Cherry and Whites went further ahead when Leeds wing Lee Blackett missed a tackle on Scotland prop Alasdair Dickinson on eight minutes after the front-row forward had taken a pass from a ruck on the 22.

Dickinson sprinted past the attempted tackles and found his way to the line. And, with Robinson adding the conversions against two penalty kicks from opposite number Lewis-Pratt, it seemed back to normal for Gloucester after their awful opening performance.

However, despite having the superiority in the pack, Gloucester lost their way as Leeds rallied.

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Carnegie enjoyed good possession in dangerous areas but could not convert until Lewis-Pratt grabbed a neat pass on the left wing from five metres to bypass the home cover and crash over.

His conversion would have levelled matters but he missed and, on the stroke of half-time, big home centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu delivered a third Gloucester try.

Yet, their Achilles heel flared again as Leeds fought to make significant inroads into the home half before the hour mark.

Twice, as at Exeter, Gloucester spurned chances, the clearest of which saw centre Tindall put Sharples in at the corner only for the ball to be squandered.

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Lewis-Pratt struck his third penalty and, after the pack thwarted another golden chance, Leeds got back into it.

Thompson made his presence felt, while Leeds's England flanker Hendre Fourie was a tower of strength.

Lewis-Pratt hit the post with a 35-metre penalty but Burrell followed up, stretched high in the air and thundered over, giving his fly-half a simple conversion and, with it, a 21-19 lead.

Gloucester threw the kitchen sink at Leeds but spurned a couple more try-scoring chances before they were rescued by Robinson's boot after the Leeds pack, trying to run the clock down, were penalised for a ruck offence.

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Gloucester: Sharples, Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Vainikolo, Robinson, R Lawson, Dickinson, S Lawson, Capdevielle, Attwood, Brown, Deacon, Hazell, Narraway. Replacements: Taylor for Sharples (63), Lewis for R Lawson (58), Wood for Dickinson (52), Azam for S Lawson (44), Harden for Capdevielle (52), Buxton for Deacon (66). Unused: James, Molenaar.

Leeds Carnegie: Stephenson, Blackett, Burrell, S Barrow, Tadulala, Lewis-Pratt, Mathie, MacDonald, Titterrell, Swainston, T Denton, Wentzel, To'oala, Fourie, Browne. Replacements: Hardy for MacDonald (18), Alonso for Swainston (58), Oakley for Browne (47). Unused: Thompson, Myall, Fa'afili, Tincknell, Fury.

Referee: D Rose (RFU).

Scorers

Gloucester – Tries: Narraway, Dickinson, Fuimaono-Sapolu. Cons: Robinson 2. Pen: Robinson.

Leeds – Tries: Lewis-Pratt, Burrell. Cons: Lewis-Pratt. Pens: Lewis-Pratt 3.