DAVID Humphreys has admitted Gloucester’s European Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Newport Gwent Dragons on Saturday is one his worst day at Kingsholm.

The Cherry and Whites director of rugby could only sit and watch as Gloucester stretched their run of defeats in recent weeks to five matches with a 23-21 loss in their defence of the title they won last year.

Gloucester were lacklustre and devoid of any ideas on how to break down the stubborn Dragons defence although Dursley’s Ben Morgan grabbed the first try of the match in the first half with wing Steve McColl adding another in the second period.

Scottish captain and Gloucester scrum-half Greig Laidlaw kicked three penalties and a conversion while the Dragons fly-half Dorian Jones was their main source of points with five penalties. Full-back Carl Meyer also added a monster 52 metre penalty.

But the Dragons won it when they went for an attacking line-out in the last two minutes  instead of trying to kick a penalty that would have drawn the match at 21-21.

After a ruck on the Gloucester line, replacement scrum-half Charlie Davies sneaked around the corner to dive through some despairing Gloucester bodies and just manage to touch down.

It left Kingsholm stunned and The Shed, which had been out-shouted by the Dragons’ travelling supporters, silenced.

Red-faced Humphreys – whether it was embarrassment or heat was hard to tell – said: “In the two years I have been here, that was without doubt the lowest point. From five weeks ago, we were talking about where the team was going on the back of some big performances.

“For the last five weeks, we have not backed that up. My job and the management team’s job is to find out why that is and why we have not delivered after a pretty good start to the season.”

The defeat means that Gloucester have no chance of getting into the European Champions Cup by winning the Challenge Cup, which was the big carrot of the competition, and have only a slim opportunity to get there by reaching the top six of the Aviva Premiership.

New owner Martin St Quinton expressed that was a minimum requirement when he took over the reigns this season but will have to wait another 12 months for another chance.

Humphreys added: “Today’s performance really summed up almost the last seven or eight months. We had a really good start, we wobbled a bit in the middle and had the chance to get back but we didn’t take it.

“It is unbelievably disappointing. It is the first time since I have been here that I have sensed the huge frustration from the supporters and everyone in the ground.”

That frustration was clear as the fans swarmed out of the Kingsholm exit doors, with some saying it was the worst display they had seen for a long while.

Gloucester have a massive amount of injuries, particularly in the backs, with full-backs playing on the wings. But the Dragons showed far greater purpose, hunger and industry.

While Humphreys said they were not complacent against a side which had lost its last seven matches in all competitions, it may have been a case that the Cherry and Whites expected to beat a team which is labelled as the lowliest of the Welsh regional sides.

Humphreys added: “If I was our fans, I would be questioning what we are doing. We have three games left in the season and the challenge for any group of players is that there is a huge amount of pride at stake.

“We have got to come back next week against a team like Exeter and show there is some character in the side.

“We made some unbelievably bad mistakes, having done well to get ourselves back into the game at 18-11 down to 18-all.

“You do expect, with the experience of the players we have out there, that we will go on to win the game

“It is fair to say that the Challenge Cup is obviously over (to qualify for the Champions Cup). In the league, mathematically it may still be possible. But when we sit back and reflect on this season, there will be a huge sense of disappointment and a huge sense of anti-climax.

“A season that promised a lot – even six weeks ago – has fallen flat. We have to go and find out why that has happened.

“After the Worcester game when we didn’t turn up, each week has got better and better.

"Last week (against Leicester at Welford Road), it was a very good performance and a game we should have won. But to go from the height of the quality of that performance last week to some of the stuff we showed out there today, we have to find out why.

“Of course, there is pressure from Martin (St Quinton). He has come in and made clear where he wants this club to go but it is a pressure we all feel. We are all very ambitious at this club and our job is to find solutions to what has been a disappointing five weeks.”