London Welsh 10, Gloucester 46

What looked being being a fairly respectable performance ended up in another woeful defeat for London Welsh in the Aviva Premiership.

The Exiles were right in the match when they trailed 15-10 with 20 minutes to go at the Kassam Stadium, but their frailties were all too familiar after that.

Having been routed in the final stages of all their previous three matches, it happened again.

It is hard to see where Welsh go from here and defeat in their next home game against Newcastle would make survival a long shot – even at this early stage.

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Welsh made three injury-enforced changes, with skipper Tom May, Rhys Crane and Ollie Stedman coming in at centre, wing and No 8 respectively.

Gloucester included former Chipping Norton junior Henry Purdy, from Milton-under-Wychwood, at outside centre.

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Fly half Olly Barkley scuffed an early penalty wide for Welsh, but his opposite number James Hook missed a sitter at the other end.

The Exiles probed well on the left, but full back Seb Jewell's grubber kick could not find wing Nick Scott, while a five-metre line-out move came to nothing.

Welsh lost openside flanker Richard Thorpe to a head injury, with Ben Pienaar replacing him.

Gloucester scrum half Dan Robson enjoyed a couple of decent snipes, the second from a quick tapped penalty.

Hook made a hash of another shot at goal, but his side were soon celebrating two tries in three minutes.

May was penalised for holding inside the Gloucester 22, and 30 seconds later the visitors he scored via a swift counter-attack, Purdy getting the touchdown.

That may have been a touch unlucky, but the second try came from a naive pass as Welsh tried to keep the ball alive.

Hook and Robson immediately launched another counter, which ended with wing Charlie Sharples motoring over.

Hook converted and Gloucester led 12-0 on the half-hour.

Welsh, to their credit, hit back well, with Pienaar going over from a powerful catch and drive move on 34 minutes.

Barkley converted and added a penalty with the final action of the half.

The second half began with plenty of endeavour, but few clear chances.

However, Billy Twelvetrees, who took over the kicking duties when Hook was replaced, slotted one penalty and hit a post with a second.

Welsh trailed 15-10 entering the final quarter and looked to have every chance of getting something from the match.

Gloucester won a scrum penalty on 65 minutes that saw Welsh prop Taione Vea yellow-carded.

Replacement Greg Laidlaw slotted the kick and the floodgates then opened.

Hook's replacement Mark Atkinson scored twice, the first supporting well after a Jonny May break.

The second was a superb solo effort – and Laidlaw converted both for 32-10.

England wing Jonny May won the race to touch down a chip through for try No 5.

There was still time for referee Luke Pearce to give Welsh lock Dean Schofield a yellow card, minutes before awarding Gloucester's now dominant scrum a penalty try.

With Laidlaw converting both, the final score had a shell-shocked Welsh losing 46-10.

London Welsh: Jewell, Crane, Reynolds, May (capt) (J Lewis 67), Scott, Barkley (Roberts 47-55 (blood), Weepu (R Lewis 67), Reeves (Cahill 53), Britton (Morris 70), Vea, Schofield, Down (Corker 58), McCaffrey (Gilding 72), Thorpe (Pienaar 10), Stedman. 
Gloucester: Cook, Sharples, Purdy (Isaacs 72), Twelvetrees (capt), May, Hook (Atkinson 53), Robson (Laidlaw 55), Murphy (Thomas 7, Afoa 72), Hibbard (Lutui 56), Afoa ( Puafisi 67), Stooke (Hudson 55), Palmer, Kalamafoni, Kvesic, Morgan (Moriarty 65).
Referee: L Pearce (Devon).
Man-of-the-match: Robson.
Attendance: 3,531.

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