The Bath hooker was in remarkable form. He is built like a little garden gnome but carried so much possession it was almost criminal, had a work rate above and beyond anybody else on the field and generally caused Gloucester no end of grief with his effort and commitment.

When he was not cropping up in the close quarters to drive Bath's pack forward, he was spotted at each and every position in the back-line to add impetus and energy to Bath's effort.

It was the most complete performance a number two could possibly produce and coupled with an outstanding showing from Nick Walshe at scrum-half and Andy Beattie, Bath made the most of their chances to win a scrappy game.

Gloucester will curse themselves to high heaven for a first-half performance that cost them the match. Trailing 12-3 at the break, they roared back with a score of their own through James Bailey but then coughed up what may always be remembered as the Ludovic Mercier 'open goal'.

Mercier intercepted a Bath pass deep inside his own half and set off towards the line. He had many metres to go but James Simpson-Daniel was on his shoulder and had a clear run to the line.

But Mercier kept going and held onto the ball to allow Andrew Higgins, who had covered a vast tract of ground, to get back and make a try-saving tackle right on the line when he knocked possession out of Mercier's hands.

The score would have handed Gloucester a lead if the conversion had been kicked but as it was, they were reduced to playing some break-neck rugby towards the end of the match that almost salvaged an unlikely victory.

However, it would have been rough justice on Bath. With Mears in rude good health, Beattie at the heart of everything and Walshe running the show, Gloucester were reduced to tatters around the contact area and missed a sackful of first up tackles in a first half performance that was distinctly below par.

It took Bath a while to get into their stride but after moving up-field through a series of penalties, they struck after 14 minutes.

They controlled a line-out and drove it forward, with Mears eventually touching down through a thicket of bodies for the opening try.

Mercier kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to 5-3 but in the last minute of the first-half, Bath scored again. They had made mincemeat of Gloucester's midfield defence and this time it was Alex Crockett who powered away to set the visitors in motion.

Possession was retained through a series of phases and when it emerged, Beattie scored to cement Bath's advantage.

Gloucester began the second half with renewed vigour but it was not until the 55th minute they got the scoreboard ticking.

Terry Fanolua had been introduced from the bench and it was his powerful surge into contact that created room for Pete Richards to scamper forward and he found Bailey who scored beneath the sticks.

It meant Gloucester were trailing 15-10 and then came Mercier's moment when he failed to stick Simpson-Daniel away.

If Bath were looking for a pick me up that was it. In truth, apart from a few dodgy scrummages, Bath had done remarkably well and when Malone nipped over a drop-goal, not even a converted try would be enough for the home side.

However, Gloucester gave it a go. In broken field they had plenty of possession and field position to get back into the contest and when Mark Foster squeezed in at the far corner, Gloucester set themselves for a grandstand finish.

Richards, Simpson-Daniel, Bailey and Jon Goodridge all tried their luck - dancing from deep in order to save the game. They attempted to raise the roof with a series of attacks but Bath's defence held out to give them a fully deserved victory.