Gloucester v Leeds Carnegie: Hard work has only just begun

Victories in their last three games against Sale, Wasps and Saracens have seen them confound the critics and climb off the foot of the table for the first time since the middle of September.

Their run has been built on grit and determination and a consistency of team selection that continues today with the management duo of Andy Key, pictured inset, and Neil Back naming an unchanged team for the second successive game at Kingsholm today.

Form counts for nothing, however, if Leeds lose and Worcester get the better of Leicester Tigers at Sixways, a scenario which would see the Yorkshiremen return to the foot of the table.

With so much at stake, and the Premiership elite slowly waking up to the fact that Leeds are no pushovers and no longer certainties to return from whence they came, the club are conscious that they approach this final block of six games that will determine their destiny with the right mental attitude.

Hence, no points target has been set, no number of wins required pinned up on the dressing room wall – Leeds's approach is the good old fashioned 'one game at a time' mantra.

"We know there is a huge amount of hard work to still be done and we need a clear focus," said director of rugby Key.

"If you look at the form book, we have won four out of six games since Christmas and we are probably one of the teams to beat in the competition.

"But it's a challenge to create a balance in that we are happy with our form and climbing off the bottom but we are well aware that the reality is the hard work has only just started. And we will continue to take it one game at a time.

"The last three results, and four performances, have clearly shown we are getting a better understanding of how to compete in this competition."

Leeds have had three weeks in which to enjoy life off the foot of the table.

In the interim, Sale jumped above them into 10th with victory over Wasps in their game in hand, but Key insists that Leeds's destiny remains in their own hands.

"We are only interested in focussing on us and what we can affect," he said.

"We can only affect what is in front of us so we will only take stock at the end of the weekend when all the fixtures have been played.

"If we deserve to win then it will be about our performance and what we did right.

"It's a difficult environment at Gloucester, which could work in our favour, and if we can get on top early that will give us a good platform."

Andy Titterrell and Seru Rabeni start for Leeds on their return to the club who unceremoniously dumped them at the start of the season.

There will also be a score to settle for the team as a whole following their 26-10 defeat to Gloucester in October when the Cherry and Whites had appeared there for the taking in the first half.

Otley-born Mike Tindall scored Gloucester's third try that day and, after representing England against France in Paris last Saturday, he returns to club duty along with fellow Six Nations returnees Marco Bortolami, Gareth Delve and Scott Lawson.

Gloucester's experienced back-line also includes Yorkshireman James Simpson-Daniel and former Bradford Bull Lesley Vainikolo.

Key said: "Everybody is back to full strength now with the international players coming back so it's a big challenge for us tomorrow and for the next six weeks."

Leeds have fly-half Ceiron Thomas back at full fitness after he limped out of the win over Saracens, and Richard Welding is the only change to the 23-man squad, coming onto the bench for Jonny Hepworth. Andy Gomarsall is not fit to return to his former club.

"The consistency of selection over the four games probably helped us," Key reflected. "The guys who were involved gelled together really well and there's no reason to change that now."

How they stand...

Guinness Premiership

P W D L F A B Pts

Leicester 17 11 1 5 365 226 8 54

Northampton 16 12 0 4 328 227 4 52

Saracens 16 10 1 5 267 236 4 46

Wasps 17 10 0 7 284 287 3 43

London Irish 16 8 3 5 346 250 5 43

Bath 16 7 2 7 277 253 6 38

Gloucester 16 6 1 9 329 324 6 32

Harlequins 16 6 2 8 263 338 4 32

Newcastle 16 4 4 8 205 251 4 28

Sale 16 5 1 10 232 323 5 27

Leeds 16 5 1 10 227 352 5 27

Worcester 16 3 4 9 226 282 5 25