Saint-Andre stuck in the muddle

Gloucester 29 London Irish

There is plenty of grumbling round Kingsholm at the moment, which is extraordinary considering that this victory over London Irish cemented Gloucester's hold on second place in the Zurich Premiership and that they have a semi-final of the Parker Pen Shield to look forward to in April.

So what has got the players, management and fans in such a muddle that they cannot celebrate and enjoy what is fast becoming their most successful season in years? After all, the fact is that they are winning games, lots of them.

Henry Paul, the high-profile, high- salary recruit from rugby league has publicly criticised the standard of coaching. His transformation from league legend to fly-half of Barry John renown has not happened in six months and he is not happy. So ineffectual has he been that yesterday he was moved to the more spacious pastures of outside centre, although he barely touched the ball all day. With the well-regarded backs coach Paul Turner at the club Paul should not be lack tuition, so perhaps his complaint was borne from frustration at his slow development, as Gloucester's director of rugby, Philippe Saint-André hinted. "I think in 15 months his best position will be fly-half but he needs to learn the game of union," he said. "I was disappointed with his comments because Paul Turner had done a great job and spent a lot of time with him, but maybe we need to take on a coach for two days a week to work one on one.''

By airing his thoughts Paul angered not only Saint-André, but also the club's owner, Tom Walkinshaw, who met with Saint-André last Monday to discuss the Frenchman's own future – his contract runs out in June. The official word about their heart-to-heart is no comment, but Saint-André is determined to resolve the problem. "I need a meeting with him next week because I must know what I am doing and the players must know,'' he said. "If I stay I want to compete with the best and be in the Heineken Cup but it is quite right that with the uncertainty players will look to contact other clubs.''

To an outsider it seems bizarre that a club doing so well should be indulging in public navel gazing but as Saint-André admitted: "That is professional rugby. Walkinshaw is a busy man but we must get an answer quickly.''

The unsettled feeling around the club is affecting the fans, although over 10,000 turned up for a crucial match against a side only one point behind them. The Shed roared for the whole 80 minutes but even that institution is under threat as plans for a new ground will be considered in the coming weeks. Without doubt, they are worth seven points a game, but the whisper is that a new ground would increase capacity by 3,000 and what argument is tradition against the bottom line?

In contrast events on the pitch are relatively serene Gloucester's victory courtesy of the sublime left foot of Ludovic Mercier and two tries by Terry Fanolua and Olivier Azam was thoroughly deserved and allowed Saint-André to smile and say: "After this week I was very proud of the players.''

Gloucester: D O'Leary; T Fanolua, H Paul, R Todd, D Albanese; L Mercier, A Gomarsall (D Yachvili, 69); P Collazo, O Azam (C Fortey, 80), F Pucciairello (A Deacon, 67), R Fidler, M Cornwell (E Pearce, 73), J Boer (capt), J Paramore, J Forrester.

London Irish: M Horak; J Bishop, R Hoadley, B Venter, P Sackey; B Everitt, H Martens; M Worsley, R Kirke, R Hardwick (S Halford, 47), R Strudwick (capt), S Williams, P Gustard (E Halvey, 70), C Sheasby, D Danaher.

Referee: S Leyshon (Bristol).