Premiership: Leicester Tigers 34-9 Gloucester Rugby

Luke Hamilton's early try put Leicester Tigers ahead at Welford Road

Leicester Tigers produced a dominant first-half display to earn a bonus-point win over Gloucester and move back to fifth in the Premiership.

Luke Hamilton crossed early in the opening period, before a penalty try extended the hosts' advantage.

Gloucester rallied after half-time with two penalties but could not find a try.

Tigers, inspired by the excellent Luke Williams, crossed again through Adam Thompstone, and French debutant Maxime Mermoz secured the bonus point late on.

• Relive Saturday's Premiership action as it happened

• Read more: Saracens suffer shock loss at Worcester

Defeat ended Gloucester's five-match winning run in all competitions and left them in ninth place, while the victory was Leicester's first in the league since 3 December.

Williams shone as Tigers battled through a testing second half to eventually secure a victory that lifted them back above Harlequins, who won at Bristol on Friday.

Experienced France centre Mermoz's try, from a driving maul in the final attack of the game, was the perfect finale for the hosts following his arrival from Toulon until the end of the season.

Interim Leicester Tigers head coach Aaron Mauger:

"That performance was something we have always known we are capable of.

"We are still a long way away from where we can get to. But we can take a lot of confidence from it. Everything we had talked about we went out and proved, which is exciting for us.

We can take a lot of belief out of that performance. I am really proud of the way the boys went out there today. There was lots of energy, commitment and belief in what we are about."

Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys:

"We pride ourselves, no matter where we play and who we play against, of having a physical edge.

"We were second best in everything. We were not competitive.

"Our set-piece let us down. We know when we come to Welford Road that we have to have a set-piece to allow us to play. We did not have that."

Leicester: Tait; Thompstone, Roberts, Smith, Brady; Burns, Kitto; Rizzo, T Youngs (capt), Cilliers, Slater, Barrow, Fitzgerald, O'Connor, Hamilton.

Replacements: McGuigan, Genge, Bateman, M Williams, Thacker, Harrison, O Williams, Mermoz.

Gloucester: Marshall; Sharples, Symons, Twelvetrees, Purdy; Burns, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Thrush, Ludlow, Rowan, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Matu'u, Thomas, Ma'afu, Galarza, Kvesic, Braley, Hook, Scott.

For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.