Ryan lapping up Gloucester form
November 29 2008
Gloucester boss Dean Ryan believes his side have to keep playing the way they are after securing a second bonus-point victory in successive domestic matches.
The home back division excelled as they outscored league strugglers Northampton by four tries to one, with full-back Iain Balshaw, wing Lesley Vainikolo, number eight Luke Narraway and the outstanding Olly Barkley all crossing.
Fly-half Ryan Lamb added thirteen points via three penalties and two conversions while Northampton's points came from a Scott Gray try in the second half plus a penalty and conversion from full-back Stephen Myler.
Ryan was satisfied by the performance and said Lamb, in particular, has taken the season by the scruff of the neck after an in-and-out campaign last year.
"We will make changes next week [against Calvisano in the Heineken Cup] because you cannot afford to have the same 15 players to get you through matches," he said.
"We cannot afford to lose momentum and I would like to keep us on a roll through Christmas.
"For Olly to enter the fray today was ideal. He is still with England every Monday and Tuesday and then with us which is why he was on the bench.
"He is going to start next week and this would have been another week to look and watch us but it didn't work that way.
"We still had six players out on international duty and we have benefited from some of the performances made by the youngsters today."
The defeat, though, leaves Northampton just a point above Newcastle Falcons at the foot of the Premiership.
And Northampton Head Coach Jim Mallinder admitted it was hard to come away from the match without even a losing bonus point.
"They were ruthless in the first half and scored some good tries," Mallinder said.
"We created a few, but made a lot of mistakes. It didn't help when they scored just before half-time but even then we knew that if we kept the ball we would have a chance.
"But we were inaccurate. You've got to be accurate and take all the chances you can here. We didn't get the rub of the green and there were some harsh decisions against us, when they didn't stay on their feet, but you've got to cope with that and we were well beaten.
"We are desperately disappointed, but it's not the end of the world losing here."