Evans answers call with vital 19 points
LLOYD Evans was the toast of Gloucester as they won a dour game to extend their unbeaten run in the Premiership to four matches.
Evans was called into the starting line-up only on Thursday when Scottish international fly-half Adam Hastings withdrew with a bang picked up in training, but he stepped up to the mark with an exemplary goal-kicking performance for a match tally of 19 points.
Evans said: “I really enjoyed it but it was a tough, niggly game as it always is against Newcastle. It was also a funny experience as we couldn’t get any phases going to our play.
“There was a big momentum shift in the second half but the biggest thing is that we survived it and came back to win.”
Trailing 16-0 after 50 minutes, Newcastle looked dead and buried, being clueless in attack as they failed to reward the wholehearted efforts of back rowers Callum Chick and Carl Fearns.
However the introduction of fresh half-backs, Joel Hodgson, playing his first game of the season, and Cameron NordliKelemeti, galvanised them to score 13 unanswered points to set Gloucester nerves jangling before the hosts sent on the cavalry from the bench to see them home.
It was by no means a convincing performance from the home side but another impressive effort from Lewis Ludlow marked him down as an unlucky exclusion from England’s autumn squad.
His head coach George Skivington said: “The back row is a very contested area for England but Lewis plays right on the edge and I believe he has a different angle to his game than everyone else.”
Jonny May also emerged with credit for giving the crowd a few thrills but Louis Reesdespite
Zammit had a disappointing afternoon as he seemed to be suffering from the effects of a blow sustained early in the game.
An Evans penalty gave Gloucester an early lead but that was the only score of an evenly-contested first quarter.
Neither side threatened the try-line during that opening period and so it came as no surprise that the next score came via a kick, a second penalty from Evans.
May enlivened proceedings with an elusive run out of defence before his side extended their lead when Val Rapava-Ruskin finished off a lineout drive with a conversion from Evans giving the hosts a 13-0 interval lead.
Evans soon extended their lead with another penalty before Newcastle staged a revival. Hodgson made a half-break to create a try for Ben Stevenson
the scoring pass looked suspiciously forward but after TMO replays, referee Wayne Barnes allowed the try to stand.
Hodgson converted and kicked two penalties in quick succession to bring Falcons right back into contention with Gloucester changing five players in one fell swoop to try and reverse the tide.
It paid dividends as Evans succeeded with two further penalties, the second of which followed a high tackle from Stevenson.
With two minutes remaining, Gloucester sealed victory when a forward drive set up the opportunity for May to walk over with Evans knocking over the touchline conversion.
Newcastle had the final say when Nordli-Kelemeti darted over in the dying moments but Gloucester’s upturn in fortunes continues.