Sarries edge out Gloucester

Saracens overcame the loss of skipper Steve Borthwick to maintain the only unbeaten record in the Guinness Premiership with a 19-16 win over Gloucester.

The victory also moved Sarries to the top of the table as Glen Jackson kicked 14 points and replacement hooker Schalk Brits touched down for his side's only try.

Defeat for Gloucester was their third on the bounce and came despite the Cherry and Whites taking a second-minute lead courtesy of an opportunist Rory Lawson try.

Nicky Robinson notched three penalties and a conversion but he failed with an injury-time drop-goal that would have secured the visitors a draw.

Borthwick departed the action after just 13 minutes after a clash with Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam left him with a nasty cut to his left eye.

By that time scrum-half Lawson had already nipped over for an early try, darting to line after having been fed by Alasdair Strokosch who stole the Saracens line-out 10 metres out.

Robinson added the extras, but two Jackson penalties in as many minutes all but wiped out the visitors' advantage shortly afterwards.

Resolute in defence

After Borthwick was forced from the field, Gloucester showed flashes of attacking ambition but Saracens remained typically resolute in defence to keep them at bay.

But Gloucester did add to their tally when they were awarded their first penalty on 23 minutes with Robinson successfully landing it.

Jackson and Robinson exchanged further penalties as the game descended into a rather drab affair of few openings and plenty of aimless kicking.

After the half-time interval Lawson became the fifth Gloucester player this campaign to be sin-binned following a team warning for persistent infringements and Jackson promptly capitalised by slotting a drop-goal.

Robinson responded minutes later with his third and final penalty to edge Gloucester 16-12 in front and Saracens looked bereft of ideas as they once again resorted to an uninspiring kicking game which drew jeers and whistles from their own supporters.

But Justin Marshall's introduction provided the catalyst they needed and, after Saracens kicked a penalty into the corner, the former All Black orchestrated a series of close-range attacks before Brits drove over the line for what proved the contest's decisive score on 66 minutes.

Gloucester did manage to engineer one final chance to snatch a draw, but Robinson could not land the drop-goal and the Cherry and Whites had to settle for a losing bonus point.