A thrashing of everyone’s favourite pantomime villains was greeted with as much euphoria as one might expect at Kingsholm. Gloucester put eight tries past a Saracens second team, but the hypothetical goal of a place in the playoffs remained out of reach, after Northampton matched their bonus-point victory at Franklin’s Gardens.
Saracens, a touch more cuddly than normal, suffered their second-heaviest Premiership defeat. They did not look unduly traumatised. A very different team will line up next weekend, when Harlequins visit for the first of the playoff semi-finals.
