Ford’s the difference in Tigers’ Kingsholm win

GEORGE Ford delivered a winning response to his England training squad omission as Leicester beat Gallagher Premiership opponents Gloucester 33-26 at Kingsholm on Friday.

The Tigers fly-half, who has won 77 caps and played in two World Cups, will miss a three-day England camp that started yesterday.

He was left out alongside the likes of fellow established internationals Billy Vunipola and Jamie George, with Ford’s failure to make the 45-man group mystifying many. But after guiding Leicester home against Exeter last weekend, he saw Tigers make it two wins from two, kicking three penalties and two conversions as they triumphed in bonus-point fashion.

Lock Harry Wells and captain Ellis Genge claimed first-half tries for Leicester, then wing Harry Potter’s sparkling 54th-minute solo try proved key before hooker Nic Dolly went over.

Gloucester did not go quietly, though, in front of an 11,600 crowd, claiming tries of their own from prop Fraser Balmain, flanker Ruan Ackermann, centre Mark Atkinson, who marked his England squad selection in style, and substitute Jack Clement. Fly-half Lloyd Evans booted two conversions, and Adam Hastings one, yet it was a second successive defeat for Gloucester

GLOUCESTER................... 26 LEICESTER........................ 33

following their reversal at Northampton last weekend. Atkinson was Gloucester’s solitary change of personnel behind the scrum, slotting back into midfield and Tom Seabrook switching to wing instead of Jonny May, while starters upfront included lock Ed Slater.

Leicester boss Steve Borthwick handed a first Tigers start to second-row forward Eli Snyman, and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet started instead of England’s Ben Youngs, who was on the bench.

Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: “Last week, we gave away way too many penalties. I thought our work-rate was better this week.”

He also praised an outstanding performance by Ackermann, adding: “He’s as tough as they come and is a massive part of the club.”

Gloucester: Moyle; Seabrook, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Thorley; Evans, Meehan; Elrington, Singleton, Balmain, Slater, Davidson, Morgan, Ludlow (c), Ackermann. Replacements: Walker, Ford-Robinson, Gotovtsev, Clarke, Conradie, Clement, Varney, Hastings.

Sin-bin: Moyle (23)

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Potter, Scott, Kelly, Nadolo; Ford, Van Poortvliet; Genge (c), Dolly, Cole, Wells, Snyman, Martin, Reffell, Liebenberg. Replacements: T Cowan-Dickie, Van Wyk, Heyes, Green, Chessum, B Youngs, Burns, Porter.

Sin-bin: Chessum (72)

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU).