Boer's brief war has long-lasting effect on the Exiles

Gloucester 25 London Irish

The Irish marauders had brought along everything to fortress Kingsholm yesterday, but their hopes of ending Gloucester's home run, which stretches back to September last year, were snuffed out by the sheer ferocity and determination of the Zurich Premiership leaders.

True it was close, but that owed as much to Gloucester's carelessness as it did to any brilliance by London Irish. Indeed a breakaway try by Paul Sackey in the 77th minute, which saw the right wing scorch away from Gloucester full-back Henry Paul, flattered the Irish and stirred the West Country giants to one last immense effort.

The Irish got away with a bonus point for finishing within seven of their opponents, but ultimately they were no match for a near-excellent Gloucester pack. The home back row just get better and better. Junior Paramore was a one-man volcano, erupting from the breakdown to surge upfield through flailing, futile attempts to tackle him.

James Forrester produced overwhelming weight of evidence that he has good hands, great feet and a footballing brain, and Jake Boer gave a masterclass in blindside play. He it was who inserted himself on the end of a lineout drive (the ball having been taken cleanly by Paramore) to open the leaders' account.

Unfortunately, like a lot of engines that are made to work hard, something had to give, and in his case it appeared to be Boer's hamstring. Whatever it was, he certainly blew a gasket as he flung his scrum-cap down in disgust in the home side's dug-out.

Irish were not anonymous by any means and the game was not all one-way traffic, but Gloucester never looked to have lost control of proceedings. Irish seemed strangely devoid of ideas, and therefore threat, in the tighter areas of the game as well as out wide, so the home team were rarely put under severe pressure.

Too often Brendan Venter would take the ball up, or inside him fly-half Barry Everitt would hoof it hopefully – more often than not, hopelessly – back into the arms of the opposition.

And as the game went on, so Andy Gomarsall's influence from scrum-half increased. His quick-wittedness frequently caught the Exiles flat-footed, while his calmness under pressure in defence was remarkable.

Irish did get a penalty through Everitt, but that was cancelled out almost immediately by Ludovic Mercier, who had already converted that Boer try.

It was significant that the first real drive, so much a hallmark of the Gloucester game of late, did not materialise until after the appearance of club captain Phil Vickery just after the start of the second half.

With Gloucester's forwards finally in the driving seat, suddenly Irish found themselves retreating from the onslaught, and the resistance eventually split. A lineout deep in Irish territory saw Gloucester set up a series of strength-sapping, ground-eating drives and the exemplary Paramore finally shouldered his way through the ragged cover for an unconverted try.

The loss of Olivier Azam to the sin bin did disrupt Gloucester. They conceded a penalty for the offence – persistent offside – and although they countered with Mercier's second, they then let Irish right back into the game.

Gomarsall and Tom Beim allowed the ball to bounce between them and a swooping Exile scooped it up and set it up for right wing Sackey to go over in the corner for the first of his double, a score which Everitt converted from the touchline.

But a tremendous drive that covered all of 30 metres by the Gloucester eight put such incredible pressure on the visitors that they fell foul of the laws and referee Robin Goodliffe awarded Gloucester a penalty try.

Gloucester: H Paul; T Delport, T Fanolua, R Todd, T Beim (M Garvey, 76); L Mercier, A Gomarsall; R Roncero, O Azam, A Deacon (P Vickery, 43), R Fidler, A Eustace, J Boer (capt; P Buxton, 35), J Paramore, J Forrester (R Elloway, 67-70).

London Irish: M Horak; P Sackey, N Burrows, B Venter, J Bishop; B Everitt, D Edwards; M Worsley (N Hatley, 51), N Drotske, S Halford (R Hardwick, 54), R Strudwick (capt), N Kennedy (G Delaney, 74), P Gustard (J Cockle, 43), C Sheasby, D Danaher.

Referee: R Goodliffe (Sheffield).