Gloucester end losing run with victory over Black Lion in Georgia

George Barton ended Gloucester’s losing streak by kicking five penalties to clinch a 15-10 European Challenge Cup victory over tournament debutants Black Lion in Tbilisi.

Gloucester made the trip to Georgia after suffering six successive Gallagher Premiership defeats – a sequence of results that had ramped up external pressure on rugby director George Skivington.

But they prevailed in a tense encounter at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, with fly-half Barton the match-winner.

Barton booted two early penalties before Black Lion went ahead through a Luka Matkava try that he also converted, but Barton completed a hat-trick before the break.

The second period proved try-less, but two more Barton penalties to one from Matkava meant that Gloucester rediscovered a winning formula.