Dowd blow leaves Wasps under a cloud

It is more than flesh and blood can take. A week after pulling off the greatest victory in the club's history, the extraordinary Heineken Cup semi-final triumph over Munster in Dublin, Wasps had to travel to another stronghold, Fortress Kingsholm. Not surprisingly they failed to complete what would have been the mother of all doubles.

Wasps had become reconciled to defeat here midway through the second-half, when the news got worse. Craig Dowd, their All Black prop, collapsed in agony with a calf strain and had to be stretchered from the field.

He could be a significant absentee, for Wasps not only have the Heineken Cup final against Toulouse at Twickenham later this month but also the Zurich Premiership play-offs at the same stadium. If Bath finish top of the league they will meet the winners of the match between the teams in second and third, and that could mean another encounter between Gloucester and Wasps.

Gloucester, smashed by the London club at High Wycombe in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, wanted the points here very badly indeed, although Wasps were not far behind them. Warren Gatland, the Wasps coach, was probably last night cursing his decision to risk playing Dowd at all.

Just before the kick-off the impressive New Zealander was relegated to the bench because of a sore Achilles. With Wasps still in the match at 21-13 after 63 minutes Dowd replaced Will Green. But two minutes later Andy Hazell scored Gloucester's third try. With the home side opening up a 28-13 lead, Gatland appeared to accept defeat when he sent on five replacements simultaneously. At that point sod's law really kicked in. First Dowd was carried off and then in injury time Wasps came right back into it with tries from Kenny Logan and Mark Denney.

Gloucester, in the end, deserved what was a rare victory over the English champions, although they made heavy work of it before getting home by two goals, a try and three penalties to two goals, a try and two penalties. Wasps, who had won 11 Premiership matches on the trot, soon fell behind to two Henry Paul penalties and had another moment of concern when their captain, Lawrence Dallaglio, went off for stitches to a mouth wound. Through clenched teeth Dallaglio continued to issue orders, but when Duncan McRae made a searing break in midfield, the stand-off sent the left-wing James Simpson-Daniel over unopposed.

After half an hour Gloucester were 13-0 up and the Shed was baying for blood. Instead Wasps came back into it, Alex King kicking a penalty and on the stroke of half-time McRae's long pass to Paul was intercepted by Fraser Waters and the centre touched down at the posts.

Gloucester had to rebuild again and did so early in the second half, Paul landing a third penalty followed by a try from Marcel Garvey. Andy Gomarsall's overhead kick to the left-hand corner was meant for Simpson-Daniel but in the ensuing chaos Junior Paramore managed to flick the loose ball to Garvey, who squeezed in at the corner.

After King had landed a penalty to cut the deficit to eight points, Dowd made his ill-fated appearance. Hazell's try - the flanker had come on at half-time for Peter Buxton - and Paul's conversion from the touchline which gave Gloucester a 15 point lead with 14 minutes on the clock, prompted Gatland's mass substitutions as the coach rested a posse of his front line players. It seemed to lull Gloucester into a false sense of security. Their forwards had dominated but what happened to Dowd's leg was not the only twist in an increasingly bizarre match.

In the 82nd minute Logan, the veteran wing, found an overlap on the right to sprint over close to the posts for King to convert, and three minutes later Denney exploited a huge gap for another try. It earned Wasps a bonus point, but what was of more concern was the sight of the stricken Dowd.

The match marked the retirement from the Zurich Premiership of Andy Deacon, who has been one of the most durable props in the game. Deacon led Gloucester out yesterday, at a ground where he is regarded as a legend, and he was chaired off at the end. It was a considerably happier exit than that afforded to Dowd.

Deacon made his debut for the Cherry and Whites in 1988, when he was a drayman for a local brewery, and has made more than 250 first team appearances. What is remarkable, particularly in the modern age, is that he has sustained a long playing record although in July he celebrates his 39th birthday. In professional rugby terms that is almost prehistoric.

Gloucester 28
Tries: Simpson-Daniel, Garvey, Hazell
Cons: Paul 2
Pens: Paul 3

Wasps 25
Tries: Waters, Logan, Denney
Cons: King 2
Pens: King 2

Half-time: 13-10 Attendance: 11,000

Gloucester: R van der Bergh; M Garvey, T Fanolua (R Todd, 72), H Paul, J Simpson-Daniel; D McRae, A Gomarsall; T Woodman, C Fortey (D Du Preez, 77), A Deacon, M Cornwell (A Eustace, 65), A Brown, J Boer (capt), J Paramore, P Buxton (A Hazell, 40).

Wasps: M van Gisbergen; T Voyce, F Waters (A Erinle, 68), S Abbott (M Denney, 68), K Logan; A King, P Richards (R Howley, 52); W Green (C Dowd, 64), T Leota (B Gotting, 68), T Payne, M Purdy, R Birkett (J Hart, 68), J Worsley, L Dallaglio (capt) P Volley (M Lock, 68).

Referee: T Spreadbury (Somerset).