Rugby Union: TIGERS' TORMENT

INJURY-HIT Leicester now have one last chance of forcing their way into next season's Heineken Cup.

They failed to qualify from their league position, after a four- try defeat by rampant Gloucester before a full house of 11,000 left them in sixth place.

However, if Leicester can overcome Quins in a double header and then the winners in the Wasps-Northampton encounter, they will be back in the cup after all.

The Tigers travel to Quins on Wednesday for a 7.45pm kick-off with the return at Leicester on Sunday.

It's a tall order though and Leicester coach Dean Richards will have to take further stock of his injury problem after this bruising encounter at Kingsholm in which a number of his players reported knocks and bruises.

Richards envisages another hard and enthralling encounter against Quins and is hoping that four of his top players - Dorian West, Neal Back, Martin Corey and Tim Stimpson - will have recovered from the injuries which kept them out against Gloucester.

Even so, the Tigers face a daunting prospect, Quins having beaten them in their last league encounter.

"Quins are a competent side and when we play them on Wednesday it will be difficult - it should be enthralling," said Richards.

He will be certainly looking for better form from his backs, who were unsettled by the fierceness of Gloucester's tackling.

They spilled too many passes and gifted Gloucester an interception try at a crucial stage.

Richards said: "I was pleased with our forwards, but we have been struggling to get our backs together."

The Tigers' pack was indeed impressive and Gloucester's inability to get matters right by referee Roy Maybank gave them plenty of scoring chances.

But despite the opportunities, all they could manage was a try for Freddie Tuilagi, converted by Geordan Murphy to add to his two penalties.

Where Leicester really came unstuck was their inability to close down Gloucester's breakaway attacks.

Gloucester have real pace and it was in stopping winger Marcel Garvey, with a high tackle, that led to the game's first chance - a penalty which Ludovic Mercier squandered.

But this was to be the French fly-half's only blemish. Leicester promised much but delivered little. They were often camped on the Gloucester line for several minutes but could not get over.

Somehow Gloucester invariably emerged with a searing move which caused Leicester real problems.

One of these ended with a try for full-back Thinus Delport, which must rate as the try of the season at Gloucester.

Mercier converted and then, to emphasise his class, punished Leicester with an angled penalty from four yards inside his own half, against the wind.

Leicester were in contention until just before half-time when another break-out saw Tom Beim score in the corner for Mercier to convert.

It was much the same in a lively second half, which was often interrupted with clashes among the fiery front rows - Gloucester were generally the culprits but Leicester could not use the advantage.

And the West Country side finally sewed it up with a try by Andy Gomarsall, who was left in a huge gap by Leicester's struggling defenders.

Then to make it even more embarrassing, Craig McMullen's intended pass was intercepted by Terry Fanolua.

Mercier converted both tries to claim the man-of-the-match award.

GLOUCESTER Tries: Delport, Beim, Gomarsall, Fanolua. Cons: Mercier 4. Pens: Mercier.

LEICESTER Tries: Tuilagi. Cons: Murphy. Pens: Murphy 2.

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