Mercier's precision pays off for Gloucester

Saracens 22 Gloucester 29

Peter Deakin would have loved this to bits, even though his team finished second. The former Saracens chief executive, one of the principal architects of professional club rugby in England, died on Friday at the brutally early age of 49 after an 18-month struggle with cancer, and after his praises had been sung by Nigel Wray, his friend and employer – "Peter was a man of unlimited optimism, a man who changed this club and the entire game with his clear sense of direction," said the multi-millionaire investor, on the point of tears – there was a minute's silence in his honour. The silence ended there.

The rest of the afternoon was about noise and passion and colour, all the things Deakin included in his definition of sporting entertainment. James Simpson-Daniel and Darragh O'Mahony, two of the more rapid straight-line movers in the Premiership, treated a big crowd to length-of-the-field rampages in the opening couple of minutes – the latter's twinkle-toed contribution resulted in an opportunist try for Richard Hill – and there was enough vim and vigour about the forward exchanges to satisfy the most pugistically motivated of spectators. "Just like the old days," grinned Dean Ryan, the Gloucester coach, who has never had much difficulty distinguishing a punchbag from a handbag.

Given that both sides are so heavily involved in the current wage-cut debate, it was quite some spectacle: indeed, the players deserve a rise rather than a drop in salary. The Saracens back row of Hill, Ryan Peacey and Kris Chesney dug in manfully against a Gloucester pack embarrassingly superior at close quarters, while the visitors offered half-back performances of an unusually high quality from Ludovic Mercier, who rattled up 22 points, and Andy Gomarsall, whose tactical kicking was instrumental in slamming the door on the home side in the final quarter.

Gomarsall's life was made easier by the early departure of his international rival, Kyran Bracken, who lasted all of 11 minutes before copping a head-high tackle from Robert Todd and leaving the field in a daze. "If he's concussed, we'll probably cite the player concerned," Wayne Shelford, the Saracens coach, said. "If a guy goes off with a head injury, the other guy stays on the field and all we get is a penalty, it's pretty strange."

Afterwards, Bracken was unsure whether he was concussed or not. "I just hope I don't get a migraine," he muttered.

Hill's scrambled finish and some solid marksmanship from Nicky Little earned Saracens a 13-3 advantage by the end of the first quarter, but Gloucester hurt their hosts with two contrastingly fortunate tries in the 15 minutes before the interval.

Terry Fanolua was the first to ride his luck after Gomarsall reacted quickly to a richochet deep in opposition territory, while Mercier cantered in unopposed after intercepting a pass from Kevin Sorrell near half-way. There was only a point in it at the break, but the Premiership leaders were on a roll and looking dangerous.

If the second half was tryless, it was anything but dull. Saracens might have regained the lead on 45 minutes had Ashley Rowden, a thoroughly befuddled referee, allowed Chesney and O'Mahony to capitalise on a clear overlap going left. Instead, he awarded them a penalty in front of the sticks. Little duly hit the spot, but with Gloucester's bully-boy pack bossing the playground, a seven-point return from the attack would have been vastly preferable – not least because the home side failed to threaten again.

From there on in, Gloucester upped their physical intensity and gave the wilting Saracens tight forwards as severe a whupping as they will experience all season, setting up camp in the black-shirted 22 and scrummaging away to their hearts' content. It was rough and ready, raw and riveting.

Deakin would have felt for his boys, but he would also have enjoyed the drama.

Saracens: Try Hill. Conversion Little. Penalties Little 5. Gloucester: Tries Fanolua, Mercier. Conversions Mercier 2. Penalties Mercier 4. Drop goal Mercier.

Saracens: A Winnan; T Shanklin, K Sorrell, T Horan (B Johnston, 85), D O'Mahony; N Little, K Bracken (capt; D Kirton, 11); C Califano, R Russell (M Cairns, h-t), M Storey (J Marsters, 56), S Hooper, C Yandell (A Benazzi, 58), R Peacey, R Hill, K Chesney.

Gloucester: T Delport; J Simpson-Daniel, T Fanolua, R Todd, M Garvey; L Mercier, A Gomarsall; R Roncero, O Azam, A Deacon, A Eustace (R Fidler, 74), M Cornwell, J Boer (capt), A Hazell, J Forrester (J Paramore, 58).

Referee: A Rowden (Berkshire).