Gloucester got the Zurich Premiership victory - vital to their play-off hopes
- but it was Leicester who could still take heart from only their third defeat
of the season.
The visitors started with only three first-team players and battled away
magnificently to stretch Gloucester all the way.
Enthusiastically led by the fiery Richard Cockerill, Leicester tackled
superbly - and their ball retention made Gloucester struggle for long periods.
Cockerill was perhaps too fiery at times and was sin-binned in the first half.
Earlier both sides had players sin-binned after a flare-up. Leicester's Lewis
Moody and Gloucester's Chris Fortey were both given time to cool off.
Gloucester drew first blood with an Andy Gomarsall penalty, but Cockerill
quickly put Leicester in front when he was driven over from a line-out for a
try.
Fly-half Steve Booth then landed a penalty to put Gloucester in real trouble.
Gloucester had two touchdowns disallowed before Gomarsall cut the lead with a
penalty, and Ian Jones went over for a try to put the home team in front.
Gomarsall, who did not have the best of times with his kicking, made amends by
wriggling over almost immediately for Gloucester's second try - but he could not
convert it.
The second half brought a different perspective, and it was Leicester who got
the only try.
Gloucester had built up a 22-8 lead with a lot of pressure and two more
penalties from Gomarsall, but a sudden breakout after a good run by Tim Simpson
and a clever kick ahead saw Geordan Murphy outpace a struggling home defence.
On this showing Gloucester will need to improve dramatically if they are to
mount a real challenge when they meet a full-strength Leicester in the Heineken
Cup semi-final on April 21.
Zurich man of the match: Richard Cockerill.
Teams:
Gloucester: Catling, Ewens, Fanolua, Little, Beim,
Simpson-Daniel, Gomarsall, Woodman, Fortey, Deacon, Fidler,
I. Jones, Boer, Hazell, Paramore.
Replacements: Todd for Fanolua (70), Hayward for Beim (74),
Djoudi for Fortey (74), Eustace for I. Jones (47), Ojomoh for Paramore (60).
Not Used: K. Jones, Sanchez.
Sin Bin: Fortey (8).
Leicester: Reeves, Stanley, Gelderbloom,
Howard, Murphy, Booth, Grindal, Freshwater, Cockerill, Nebbett, Deacon, Corry,
Gustard, Moody, Short.
Replacements: Stimpson for Reeves (69), Healey for Murphy (75),
Jelley for Freshwater (60), Chuter for Cockerill (68), Balding for Corry (56).
Not Used: Kay, Lewitt.
Sin Bin: Moody (8), Cockerill (35).
Att: 7,614
Ref: Steve Lander (RFU).
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