Gloucester have the quality to edge Tigers test at Kingsholm

Gloucester v Leicester
BT Sport 1, 7.45pm Friday

Gloucester ended a run of seven defeats in all competitions to Leicester with last February's 24-17 home Premiership win and they look worth a wager to repeat the narrow success at Kingsholm.

The fourth-placed Cherry & Whites have been made to work hard for long periods in this season's home league wins over Northampton and Bristol and they were arguably the better side in the drawn ding-dong derby with Bath.

They also closed the league window - before Europe and the Premiership Cup - with a wonderful 35-21 victory at Wasps orchestrated by Danny Cipriani.

Classy-but-controversial Cipriani returns at fly-half after a three-week ban for his red card at Munster in the only change despite autumn international call-ups to a tasty Gloucester starting line-up that ground out a 14-12 win over Northampton in the cup last Friday at Kingsholm.

Powerhouse number eight Ben Morgan is back on the bench too after injury ruled him out of England's Tests against South Africa and New Zealand.

Leicester swamped Scarlets late on at Welford Road in the Champions Cup and also started strongly in defeat at Ulster, but fifth spot and a Twickenham away-day triumph over East Midlands rivals Northampton last month puts a gloss on domestic travails.

Geordan Murphy names a Tigers squad not significantly stronger in most areas than ones that have lost all three Premiership Cup outings and they have lost heavily at Exeter and more cosily at Wasps than six points suggests in the league, as well as being stunned at Welford Road by Worcester.

At the Stoop, bottom-of-the-table Newcastle get a six-point start from Harlequins.

Quins have been the only side to stretch Saracens in the Premiership this season and have named a lively backline. However, the Falcons sneaked a Premiership Cup win in west London a fortnight ago and morale in their camp should be high after their two Champions Cup victories over Toulon and Montpellier.

Recommendation
Gloucester to win by one to 12 points
1pt 15-8 Betfair

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