Double European champions Leicester will have to pin their hopes of securing a
place in next season's Heineken Cup on next week's Zurich Premiership wildcard
play-off.
The Welford Road side, who have won the Premiership four times, failed to pick
up the bonus point win they needed at Gloucester.
Dean Richard's side crashed to a humiliating 31-13 defeat at Kingsholm and
must settle for sixth-placed finish in the table.
Gloucester, however, now go into the championship final at Twickenham on May
31 - courtesy of finishing top of the table - to bid for the Premiership crown.
Gloucester's first try underlined why the Cherry and Whites have topped the
Premiership this season.
Just eight minutes had elapsed before England scrum-half Andy Gomarsall
reacted quickly to a tap penalty close to Leicester's try line and leave Tigers
on the back foot.
Gomarsall, Henry Paul, Tom Beim then created vital space up field before the
scrum-half switched the run of play to the right wing for Andy Deacon and Trevor
Woodman to offload to a pouncing Thinus Delport.
Fly-half Ludovic Mercier kicked the conversion before adding an ambitious
penalty from 55 metres out.
But Leicester bounced back to match Gloucester's score with an easy penalty
and a soft try.
Irishman Geordan Murphy opened Leicester's account with three points before
Freddie Tuilagi burst through the midfield when the home side were caught
napping.
Full-back Murphy added the conversion to make the score 10-10, but a
first-half injury-time try handed Gloucester a vital 17-10 lead at the break.
This time it was the turn of winger Beim, who benefited from good work by
powerhouse forward Junior Paramore.
The Samoan had released the ball from the scrum to Gomarsall who passed the
ball out wide to Mercier and Terry Fanolua before Beim touched down. Mercier
converted.
Murphy reduced the deficit to just five points with his second penalty but
Gomarsall helped cement his side's lead with Gloucester's third try after
breaking free from a scrum to dart across the try line. Mercier again
converted.
Gloucester centre Fanolua then ensured victory with a late interception try
that handed Nigel Melville's men a bonus-point win. Frenchman Mercier, playing
his last game for the Kingsholm outfit, kicked the conversion.
Teams
Gloucester: Delport, Garvey, Fanolua, Paul, Beim, Mercier,
Gomarsall, Woodman, Azam, Deacon, Eustace, Cornwell, Boer,
Hazell, Paramore.
Replacements: Stuart-Smith, Amor, Todd, Collins, Vickery, Fidler,
Buxton.
Tries: Delport, Beim, Gomarsall, Fanolua.
Cons: Mercier 4.
Pens: Mercier.
Leicester: Murphy, Holtby, Lloyd, Tuilagi, Ellis, McMullen,
J. Hamilton, Rowntree, Chuter, Garforth, M. Johnson, Kay,
Short, Kronfeld, Balding.
Replacements: Skinner, Freshwater, Nebbett, Deacon, Tierney,
Gelderbloom, Kafer.
Tries: Tuilagi.
Cons: Murphy.
Pens: Murphy 2.
Att: 11,000
Ref: Roy Maybank (RFU).
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