The sort of result that changes a season

Yes, you saw it right ... Newcastle Falcons 10, Gloucester 7. Pre-season favourites for relegation, second bottom of GP 10, team full of internationals second top of GP 7. It's the sort of result that decides a season, gets coaches the sack and drives the fans mad with frustration. It's a long way away, players are out injured and it's been cold - but there are no excuses for Glaws.

Newcastle won fair and square and anybody who tries to put forward bad luck, bad refereeing, bad weather or any other excuse is hiding his head in the sand.
Gloucester didn't have enough to cope with a team battling for its Guinness Premiership life, and not only was this a massive blow for Gloucester, it as also a huge hit for neighbours Bristol, now stranded at the bottom after losing heavily againt Saracens.
Danny Williams scored a first-half try for the Falcons, and though Glaws replied after half-time with a Rory Lawson try, Tom May's penalty gave the hosts their win.
A team with Gloucester's squad, expectations and budget should not lose games like this. Surpirse results always crop up, of course, and they are the very essence of most sports.
But when they happen like this, nobody in the Glaws squad can shrug their shoulders and put it down to "one of those things".
Newcastle coped better with the wind and Gloucester played badly as a team and as individuals.
On this form, they can forget the Heinken cup when it resumes next weekend and they can also forget the top four of the Guinness Premiership. Just when it looked as if they might have put their inconsistency behind them, this happens.
Newcastle won on merit, and that says it all.