England star scores on return as Tigers pile points on Gloucester

England lock Ollie Chessum scored on his return from injury to cap a comfortable 45-14 win for Leicester against Gloucester in the Gallagher PREM.

The Tigers moved level on points with leaders and defending champions Bath at the top of the table after scoring seven tries at Mattioli Woods Welford Road against the struggling Cherry and Whites.

A 20-minute red card for replacement hooker Charlie Clare was the only negative of the night for the hosts, but this was the perfect way to bounce back from back-to-back defeats in the Investec Champions Cup.

Leicester were ahead after 12 minutes when an arcing run from Solomone Kata took them close before Tom Whiteley recycled for James Thompson to burrow his way over from about a metre out.

Billy Searle tagged on the conversion, and having set up the opening try, Kata scored the second himself as he breezed through a yawning gap in the Gloucester defence before charging in down the right wing.

A chance for the Cherry and Whites to bring themselves back into the game went begging when Ollie Thorley was held up in-goal after the ball went through the hands of Ross Byrne and Seb Atkinson.

Leicester were then awarded a penalty try right at the end of the first half when Charlie Atkinson illegally tackled Ollie Hassell-Collins as he looked to ground the ball after the winger had been tap-tackled by the Gloucester full-back.

Atkinson was sin-binned as a result, giving the visitors an even steeper mountain to climb after half-time, with the Tigers leading 19-0.

After just 42 seconds of the second half, they had their bonus point when Freddie Steward went on a rampaging run down the left before passing inside to send Whiteley under the posts.

It was turning into a miserable night for the Cherry and Whites and it took another turn for the worse when Josh Hathaway was unable to mop up Whiteley’s chip ahead, allowing Leicester skipper Tommy Reffell to steal in and score.

Gloucester were finally on the board after 58 minutes, and it was a happier moment for Hathaway as the young Wales winger was able to weave his way over down the right.

But their defence was at sixes and sevens again when Searle was able to step into open space with ease before shrugging off a flimsy attempt at a last-ditch tackle to score Leicester’s sixth try.

Clare was then shown a 20-minute red card in the 67th minute for his shoulder making contact with Jack Clement’s head at a ruck.

Despite his side being a man light, Chessum delighted the crowd with his comeback try before Clement scored Gloucester’s second of the night off a driving maul.