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The Prem
Leicester (19) 45
Tries: Thompson, Kata, penalty try, Steward, Reffell, Searle, Chessum Cons: Searle 3, Bailey
Gloucester (0) 14
Tries: Hathaway, Clement Cons: Byrne 2
Leicester moved level on points with Prem leaders Bath after Solomone Kata inspired the Tigers to a crushing victory over Gloucester.
The Tongan centre scored a superb individual try and created another for a ruthless Leicester who secured their fourth successive league win.
The hosts finished with seven tries, with the only blot on their evening a 20-minute red card for replacement hooker Charlie Clare late on for a dangerous clearout on Jack Clement.
Second-bottom Gloucester, who have won once at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in 18 years, never threatened to improve on that dismal record in a hugely disappointing performance.
It was an unhappy evening in particular for captain Tomos Williams who had a forgettable game defensively at the end of a week in which it was confirmed that he will leave the Cherry and Whites at the end of the season.
Leicester led 19-0 at the break on the back of a terrific first half from Kata who scored one superb individual try and created another for flanker James Thompson.
Kata took the Tigers deep into Gloucester territory in the 12th minute with a lovely outside break, leaving Thompson to finish the job from short range.
Then, nine minutes later, he found acres of space from a scrum on halfway after cutting back on a sharp inside line to race in unopposed.
Getty ImagesThe home side grabbed a third score just before the break when referee Karl Dickson awarded a penalty try, judging that Gloucester had illegally prevented Ollie Hassell-Collins from touching down.
Charlie Atkinson, who had combined with Will Butler to stop the touchdown, was yellow-carded, and while the Gloucester full-back was absent, Leicester struck twice more early in the second half.
Scrum-half Tom Whiteley finished off a break from the dangerous Freddie Steward. Then, the scrum-half’s chip caused havoc in the Gloucester defence near their own line, and as Williams floundered, Tommy Reffell was on hand to add Leicester’s fifth.
Billy Searle, who added six points with the boot, jinked his way through some non-existent Gloucester defence for a sixth.
And even though Leicester were reduced to 14 following Clare’s dismissal in the 67th minute, they were still able to add another.
British and Irish Lions and England second row Ollie Chessum, making his return off the bench after six weeks out with a foot problem, rampaged over from Jamie Blamire’s offload.
Josh Hathaway and Clement at least got Gloucester on the scoreboard.
But having lost hooker Seb Blake and wing Rob Russell to injury inside the first 25 minutes, the visitors then lost Seb Atkinson in the second half to a failed HIA to cap a night to forget for the Cherry and Whites.
Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Perese, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Searle, Whiteley; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Wells, Thompson, Reffell (c), Moro.
Replacements: Clare, Haffar, Hurd, Chessum, Williams, van Poortvliet, Bailey, Woodward.
20-minute red card: Clare (67).
Gloucester: C Atkinson; Russell, Butler, S Atkinson, Thorley; Byrne, Williams (c); Rapava Ruskin, Blake, Laulala, Thomas, Clark, Basham, Ludlow, Clement.
Replacements: Innard, Ford-Robinson, Fasogbon, Jordan, Taylor, Austin, Knight, Hathaway.
Yellow card: C Atkinson (40).
Referee: Karl Dickson
