Geordan Murphy touches down for Leicester's fourth try

Gloucester 28 (11)
Tries: Richards, Hazell
Pens: Walker 6

Leicester 24 (19)
Tries: Tuilagi 2, Varndell, Murphy
Cons: Humphreys 2

Gloucester inflicted a sixth Premiership defeat on leaders Leicester to boost their own play-off hopes.

Full-back Willie Walker booted six penalties for the hosts, adding to tries from scrum-half Peter Richards and flanker Andy Hazell.

Wing Alesana Tuilagi replied with two tries for Leicester while Tom Varndell and Geordan Murphy also crossed.

The Tigers pressed for a last ditch try but Gloucester were controversially awarded a penalty to clear their lines.

The visitors didn't take long before they broke the deadlock in the first half.

Tuilagi pounced a lose ball before beating the floundering Iain Balshaw to cross for the first touchdown which David Humphreys converted.

Varndell was then put in for Leicester's second, despite TV replays showing the final pass was forward.

Walker finally got Gloucester's first points with a 35-metre penalty and, after two rucks, Richards darted in for unconverted try.

But right on half-time Sam Vesty's neat grubber kick was dived on by Tuilagi and Humphreys converted.

Gloucester responded after the break with Richards's blindside run giving flanker Hazell a simple run-in on his 100th appearance.

Walker booted two penalties to give the home side the advantage before Leicester regained the lead with 15 minutes to go as Murphy, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, run in for a try and a bonus point.

That put the league leaders 24-22 ahead but Gloucester retook the lead with Walker kicking two more goals.

Anthony Allen was sin-binned with two minutes left for dumping an opponent on the ground illegally but Leicester were unable to capitalise and the hosts hung on for victory.

"I thought we played some good football, I thought we stretched them a lot and scored some good tries. That's the best I've seen Leicester play for a number of weeks.

"Physically, that first 40 minutes was tough for us. People will say 'why are you behind' but you get slow starts. We are not the most physical of teams and when we play Leicester, we are not as physical as teams like that.

"But if we kept moving them around, the opportunities would come for us and that is what we saw today. It eventually got us into the lead and we were able to stay there."

"We are well-supported clubs and I think it may be worth having a look at that and make sure that these two clubs are playing on big occasions on big days because I think the warrant it.

"As much as Gloucester fans won't like this, I actually like coming here. It's entertaining, it induces good stuff and I'm sure they feel the same when they come to Leicester."

Gloucester: Walker; Bailey, Allen, Simpson-Daniel, Balshaw; Lamb, Richards; Wood, Azam, Forster, James, Brown, Buxton, Hazell, Narraway. Replacements: Davies, Collazo, Eustace, Boer, Thomas, Foster, Kiel.

Leicester: Vesty; Varndell, Hipkiss, Gibson, Tuilagi; Humphreys, Murphy; Ayerza, Hickie, Holford, Cullen (c), Kay, Croft, Jennings, Crane. Replacements: Buckland, Moreno, Deacon, Abraham, Bemand, Lloyd, Murphy.