London Irish started the new year full of resolution. They were the least successful team in the Premiership in 2012 and they went to Gloucester's self-named Castle Grim one point off the bottom of the table and without an away win in the league for eight months.
They had already conceded 116 points and 11 tries in three defeats to Gloucester in the Premiership and Challenge Cup this season, and appeared to be a club declining inexorably with seven straight losses in all competitions.
"The players had a meeting at the start of the week and accepted we were the ones to blame for where we found ourselves," said the second-row George Skivington, whose two first-half tries created the platform for one of the surprises of the season. "We had tended to play well for an hour and then fold. We needed a grittier edge and we found it against Gloucester."
Gloucester were expected to consolidate their position in the top four but instead fell out of the play-off places after failing to adapt when they found their opponents were far more obdurate and motivated than they had expected.
"The marking of the new year is quite significant," said Brian Smith, London Irish's director of rugby. "We want to draw a line under 2012 because it was not a great year for us. We aim to build on this and make it a successful 2013."
It was the end of a week when London Irish lost their defence coach, Shaun Edwards, who decided to devote all his time to Wales, and they kept their line intact for only the second time in the Premiership this season, restricting Gloucester to few meaningful incursions. But the hosts played a significant part in their own downfall with shoddy handling and poor decision-making.
"We did not turn up emotionally and the error count was far too high," said Nigel Davies, Gloucester's director of rugby. "I have said all season that we are a work in progress and this defeat showed that we are not good enough yet to slip off. There was a lack of intensity and commitment, and I would have to say we were complacent."
London Irish's satisfaction was tempered by injuries to David Paice and Ian Humphreys, together with the continued unavailability of the England prop Alex Corbisiero, whose last appearance was against New Zealand a month ago. He has played for Irish only twice this season and pulled out on the eve of the Gloucester match because of what Smith described as a degenerative knee condition.
"It is a tough time for Alex," Smith said. "He is a world-class loosehead whose knee is a mess. The Six Nations is looming and the way it has gone lately he has been right for England but not London Irish. That hurts us and him. I cannot say if he will play next week – it's the story of the last year: his knee has to be managed."
Gloucester Cook; Sharples, Tindall (capt), Twelvetrees, Monahan; Burns, Cowan (Robson, 51); Murphy (Wood, 51), Edmonds (Dawidiuk, 51), Knight, Savage, James, Kalamafoni, Qera (Cox, 51), Morgan.
Pens Burns 4. Sin-bin James 77
London Irish Homer; Joseph, Tagicakibau, Shingler, Yarde; Humphreys (Geraghty, 50), Phibbs (Moates, 74); Lahiff, Paice (Lawson, 39), Aulika (Halavatau, 68), Skivington, Evans (capt), Garvey (Gibson, 74), Sinclair, Hala'ufia.
Tries Skivington 2. Con Shingler. Pens Shingler, Homer.
Referee David Rose (RFU). Attendance 13,171.
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