Full-time: Gloucester 36 Bath 27

Four-try Gloucester Rugby won a thrilling Guinness Premiership derby which will live long in the memory.

Renowned for producing tight, gritty battles, Gloucester Rugby and Bath Rugby served up 80 minutes of free-flowing attack and ferocious tackling.

James Simpson-Daniel scored twice before going off injured, while Charlie Sharples and Rory Lawson also crossed for the hosts, with Rob Hawkins grabbing two of Bath’s three tries and Andrew Higgins getting the other.

Bath had skipper Alex Crockett sent off for two yellow cards – and they left Kingsholm without even a losing bonus point.

Five tries were scored in a thrilling first half, with Gloucester taking a six-point lead into the break after crossing three times in a rampant four-minute spell.

Bath opened the scoring after bossing a frantic opening five minutes, during which they lost a clearly dazed Michael Claassens.

The visitors started at their trademark tempo – and benefited when hooker Hawkins, only in the side with Lee Mears and Pieter Dixon both missing, opened the scoring.

Bath kicked a penalty to touch, securing a five-metre line-out, and drove over the line with Hawkins emerging with the ball. Butch James’ conversion gave Bath a 7-0 lead.

Gloucester, who began to take charge at the scrum, worked their way back into the game and registered their first points through a Carlos Spencer penalty after Bath captain Alex Crockett had been yellow-carded for persistent offside.

Spencer and James exchanged penalties to leave Bath 10-3 up, before Gloucester’s attacking blitz.

Simpson-Daniel dived on Spencer’s chip through for Gloucester’s first try, before Charlie Sharples crossed in the corner two minutes later following a determined run down the left.

And when Bath coughed up cheap possession in their own half, Simpson-Daniel raced in from halfway, injuring himself in the process, to complete a remarkable four-minute turnaround. From 10-3 down, Gloucester were 20-10 up.

But Bath hit back, Hawkins stretching to the line for his second try after Matt Banahan’s offload. James again converted to make it 20-17, before replacement Olly Barkley landed a penalty with the final kick of the half to increase Gloucester’s lead.

Bath made a positive start to the second half, with James Scaysbrook’s break out of defence setting up a good platform in the Gloucester 22. And when Anthony Allen entered a ruck from the side – and was sin-binned – James made it 23-20.

But even with 14 men, Gloucester looked dangerous – and they soon increased their lead and banked their try bonus-point.

Bath were turned over on halfway, Spencer kicked behind their defence and Iain Balshaw chased Banahan. The duo collided, the ball fell loose – and Lawson was on hand to go over for Gloucester’s fourth try.

Barkley’s conversion put the home side 30-20 up – but the 10-point advantage was wiped out two minutes later.

Bath won a penalty deep in Gloucester territory, James took a clever quick tap – and baffled the home defence by sending Higgins in to score. James’ conversion further reduced the deficit, only for Barkley to make it 33-27 with a penalty on 53 minutes.

Gloucester prop Nick Wood was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Joe Maddock as the intensity grew.

Bath skipper Crockett saw red for a second yellow card – taking Sharples out off the ball after he had kicked ahead – and Barkley punished his former school friend and team-mate’s indiscretion by kicking Gloucester into a nine-point lead.

With one minute left on the clock, James horribly miscued a penalty which would have given his side a point – and then, when afforded another shot seconds later, he again failed to find the target.

Gloucester Rugby: O Morgan; I Balshaw, J Simpson-Daniel (O Barkley 39), A Allen, C Sharples; C Spencer, R Lawson; N Wood, O Azam, G Somerville, A Eustace, A Brown, A Satala, A Hazell (J Forster 73-78), G Delve (capt). Reps not used: A Titterrell, D Wright, D Williams, R Lamb, M Foster.

Scorers: Tries – Simpson-Daniel (2), Sharples, Lawson. Cons – Spencer, Barkley. Pens – Spencer, Barkley (3).

Sin-binned: Allen (42-52, entering ruck from the side), Wood (63-78, high tackle).

Bath Rugby: J Maddock; A Higgins, A Crockett (capt), E Fuimaono (S Berne 80), M Banahan; B James, M Claassens (S Bemand 3); D Barnes, R Hawkins, D Bell, J Harrison, P Short (S Hooper 69), A Beattie, J Scaysbrook, D Browne (J Fa’amatuainu 33-40, 69). Reps not used: M Lilley, A Jarvis, M Stephenson.

Scorers: Tries – Hawkins (2), Higgins. Cons – James (3). Pens – James (2).

Sin-binned: Crockett (16-27, persistent offside and 67, tackling man without the ball).

Sent off: Crockett (two yellow cards).

Referee: W Barnes.