By Andrew Baldock

Gloucester were the beneficiaries of another dreadful  Leicester Tigers display, cutting loose to claim a 33-16 victory that was based on first-half tries by Nick Wood, Charlie Sharples and Jonny May.

It was the first time since October 2011 for Leicester to suffer three successive Premiership defeats - they were beaten at home by London Irish seven days ago - and they look to be nowhere near halting an alarming early-season slump.

Scotland international Greig Laidlaw kicked 18 points from four penalties and three conversions, while Leicester could only muster an Owen Williams penalty hat-trick and his conversion of an injury-time David Mele try after Tigers were out-thought and outplayed.

Gloucester were sharper in attack, more physical up-front and much cleverer through their support work, which combined to leave Leicester boss Richard Cockerill assessing major problems ahead of hosting Harlequins next Friday, which is followed by a European Champions Cup opener against Ulster.

Not even edging the second-half scoreline 7-3 will have lifted Tigers' spirits, as it did nothing to paper over alarming cracks.

Gloucester showed three changes from the side that beat London Welsh last time out, with Laidlaw, Wood and lock Tom Savage all featuring, but injury-hit Leicester were forced into a late change.

Already without England quintet Manu Tuilagi, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling and Tom Croft, centre Seremaia Bai was ruled out due to calf muscle trouble, so former Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns - who was initially named on the bench - started, and Williams moved from 10 to 12.

Williams and Laidlaw exchanged early penalties before Laidlaw's second successful strike nudged Gloucester 6-3 ahead after the home side went close to a try, but were denied by Tigers wing Miles Benjamin's ankle-tap tackle on full-back Rob Cook.

Referee Andrew Small continued to award penalties at frequent intervals, and Laidlaw completed his hat-trick after just 12 minutes before Williams narrowed the gap to 9-6, but Gloucester quickly tightened their grip.

Burns, who had been given a vociferous homecoming by the Gloucester supporters, gave the home crowd more ammunition when he saw an attempted defensive clearance charged down by Savage, who then gathered the bounce and fed a supporting Wood for Gloucester's opening try.

Laidlaw converted as Gloucester opened up a 10-point lead and alarm bells started ringing throughout a Leicester team depleted by another injury blow when full-back Mathew Tait groggily left the action to be replaced by Matt Smith, and Blaine Scully switched from wing to Tigers' last line of defence.

Gloucester did not escape on the injury front, though, as their captain and England centre Billy Twelvetrees departed after suffering what appeared to be a knock to his leg.

Things then continued to unravel for Leicester as they found themselves horribly exposed in defence when Sharples was freed in space, and the England wing effortlessly went around Vereniki Goneva before cutting inside Scully for a superb solo try that Laidlaw converted.

Leicester, not for the first time this season, looked in a state of disarray, and although Williams kicked a third penalty just before half-time, Gloucester delivered a third try that owed everything to slick midfield passing.

Fly-half James Hook, watched from the stands by Wales head coach Warren Gatland and assistant Rob Howley, set the score up by drawing his marker superbly, before Cook gave a scoring pass to May and Leicester were again unlocked.

Laidlaw's successful touchline conversion rubbed salt into a gaping Tigers wound, and at 30-9 down Leicester faced a Herculean second-half task to avoid fresh humiliation two weeks after they were thumped by Bath.

Leicester showed a greater appetite for the battle during the third quarter, yet they could not break down Gloucester's defence, and after the home side absorbed a spell of pressure, Laidlaw's fourth penalty took his team 24 points clear following a superb Hook break.

Goneva then received a yellow card for a shoulder charge on Sharples, although referee Small missed a dangerous tackle by Benjamin in the same phase of play, and Gloucester looked to ram home their superiority with a temporary one-man advantage by establishing a firm foothold deep inside Tigers territory.

They missed a golden opportunity when replacement scrum-half Dan Robson got in Sharples' way with the Leicester line beckoning, but the Tigers had long since been beaten and Gloucester could celebrate their best performance of the season, despite seeing Mele scamper over during the dying seconds.

Gloucester Rugby: Rob Cook; Charlie Sharples, Henry Purdy, Billy Twelvetrees (capt) (Mark Atkinson 21), Jonny May (Tom Isaacs 51); James Hook, Greig Laidlaw (Dan Robson 48); Nick Wood (Yann Thomas 54), Richard Hibbard (Aleki Lutui 74), John Afoa (Sila Puafisi 74); Tom Savage (Elliott Stooke 56), Tom Palmer; Sione Kalamafoni (Ross Moriarty 72), Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan

Attendance: 15, 127