Dupuy stars for Tigers

Leaders Gloucester were denied a second successive win at Welford Road after Julien Dupuy kicked Leicester to a 24-10 Guinness Premiership victory.

The French scrum-half kicked seven penalties to secure a win which moves the Tigers into the play-off places in the table.

He also punished the Cherry and Whites for an undisciplined display, which saw both scrum-half Rory Lawson and lock Alex Brown sin-binned.

All of Leicester's points came courtesy of the boot - full-back Geordan Murphy sealing the result with a late drop goal from inside his own half.

Disallowed tries

The home side found the visiting defence difficult to breach, and on the two occasions they did cross their tries were disallowed.

Tom Croft's effort was wiped out because of a forward pass, while Marco Wentzel placed a foot in touch before planting the ball down.

Gloucester did score an interception try through Iain Balshaw but the league leaders were well beaten on their travels.

They nevertheless drew first blood when Olly Barkley found the target with a penalty in the fifth minute.

But, after they were penalised in a ruck, Leicester were soon back on level terms when Dupuy responded in kind.

At this stage, the home side were struggling in the scrum and Gloucester tried to take advantage - Lawson linking with Henry Trinder, who was called up as a late replacement when Anthony Allen failed a fitness test on a back injury.

The Tigers halted their progress but fell behind nonetheless when a floated pass from fly-half Sam Vesty, making his 100th Premiership appearance, was picked off by Balshaw to score, with Barkley converting.

Leicester got over the line themselves after 28 minutes but England flanker Croft's celebrations were short-lived as referee Wayne Barnes quickly brought play back.

Dupuy started the attack with a quick tapped penalty but then opted to trim the lead with three points when Gloucester were penalised for not rolling away in a ruck.

His third penalty saw Gloucester's lead reduced to a point before putting them in front for the first time after Lawson was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

Gloucester's indiscipline remained a problem early in the second period but Dupuy proved unable to push Leicester further ahead - three long-range penalty attempts sailing wide in an eight minute period.

But the visitors were certainly giving him plenty of practice and a more straightforward effort after 55 minutes got the scoreboard moving again.

Difficult

Despite their lead, however, Leicester were still finding it hard to find a to break down Gloucester's impressive defence.

Props Marcos Ayerza and Martin Castrogiovanni were both held short of the line and winger Alex Tuilagi then knocked on when the ball was moved wide.

It was left to Dupuy to move the Tigers two scores clear with his sixth penalty after Brown was sin-binned for taking out Murphy off the ball.

Leicester continued to hunt for that elusive try without success and so it was left to Murphy's drop goal - from 53 metres - and Dupuy again to complete the scoreline.