GLOUCESTER director of rugby Nigel Davies admitted his side only had themselves to blame after they were beaten by West Country rivals Bath in a feisty Aviva Premiership encounter, writes Chris Bailey.

In a match that witnessed seven cards including three yellows for Bath and two yellows and two reds for Gloucester, George Ford converted a late penalty try for an 18-17 triumph.

The Cherry & Whites ended the match with only 11 men on the field after the shameful mass collective punch-up.

The defeat left Davies’ side in ninth position though they remain just three points behind Exeter Chiefs who occupy what is now a prized European qualifying spot in seventh.

But after seeing his side have a man advantage at times and lead in the match, Davies admitted the performance fell below his standards.

“We have got to look at ourselves first," said Davies. "Our discipline, regardless of anything else, has not been good enough this season.

“It’s hugely frustrating. We did so much good in terms of stepping up and playing the type of game that we needed to win a local derby.

“There was good intent although our accuracy let us down on occasions in the first half in particular.

“I think what we got at the end of the game was a bit of a farce and there is a lot of frustration within the players because of the inconsistency of refereeing throughout the game.”

The victory moved Bath on to 59 points in the Aviva Premiership table – five clear of Harlequins who had put the pressure on by beating Sale Sharks on Friday night.

Be part of the world’s biggest club rugby final. To buy your tickets for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final on May 31 at Twickenham, go to www.tickethour.co.uk/premierrugby.