RUGBY UNION: Welsh pipped at Gloucester (From The Oxford Times)

RUGBY UNION: Welsh pipped at Gloucester

4:58pm Saturday 23rd March 2013 in Rugby By Ed Mezzetti, Sports reporter specialising in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics. Call me on 01865 425456

Gloucester 15, London Welsh 14

LONDON Welsh suffered fresh heartache at Kingsholm today with a frustrating one-point defeat in the Aviva Premiership.

The Exiles are now five points adrift of safety and will be still bottom courtesy of having won fewer matches, even if the result of their appeal goes their way when it is announced next week.

Ultimately they paid the price for a high penalty count, which allowed off-key England fly half Freddie Burns to land five efforts.

Welsh scored the game's only try through wing Phil MacKenzie after a great run from prop James Tideswell, but their scrum was put under increasing pressure.

Fly half Gordon Ross kicked three penalties for Welsh, but it was Burns's boot which proved decisive.