Gloucester 31-13 Leicester

Gomarsall scored Gloucester's third try

Double European champions Leicester were consigned to a play-off fight to compete in next season's Heineken Cup after defeat at Kingsholm.

The Tigers, four-time Premiership winners, failed to pick up the bonus point win they needed to ensure fifth place in the Zurich Premiership and automatic qualification to Europe's premier club competition.

They take on Harlequins at The Stoop on Wednesday before playing them at Welford Road on Sunday.

The winner will then face either Saracens or Leeds Tykes.

But Premiership table-toppers Gloucester now go into the championship final at Twickenham on 31 May.

Gloucester, unbeaten at home this season, scored their first try after just eight minutes when England scrum-half Andy Gomarsall pounced from a tap penalty.

This has been a great day for Gloucester - finishing top of the league has been a long time coming Gloucester coach Nigel Melville

Gloucester surged forward before Trevor Woodman offloaded to Thinus Delport, who crashed over.

Fly-half Ludovic Mercier kicked the conversion before adding an ambitious penalty from 55 metres out.

But Leicester bounced back through a Geordan Murphy penalty and a try by Freddie Tuilagi.

Full-back Murphy added the conversion but a first-half injury-time try from Tom Beim gave Gloucester a 17-10 lead at half-time.

Murphy kept Leicester in the hunt with an early second-half penalty but Gomarsall was again on hand to score Gloucester's third try.

The West country side also went over through centre Terry Fanolua, who scored a late interception try that handed Nigel Melville's men a bonus-point win.

Frenchman Mercier, playing his last game for Gloucester, kicked the conversion.

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.

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.

Referee: Roy Maybank (RFU)