Toby Flood scored an interception try and kicked eight points on his Leicester debut to give the Tigers a winning start to their Guinness Premiership season against Gloucester at Kingsholm. Earlier in the day, Sale began with victory away to Newcastle, while fly-half Butch James helped Bath to beat Bristol in a high-scoring game.

In last season's Premiership play-offs, Gloucester had succumbed to Leicester's power, and the same was to be the case today. Both teams struggled for fluency following the summer break - and they could not even hide behind the contentious experimental law variations as an excuse. The Tigers' new coach, South African Heyneke Meyer, eventually saw his team prevail in an error-strewn tussle thanks to late tries from Geordan Murphy and Flood

Flood and opposite number Ryan Lamb missed seven shots at goal between them, although Lamb's solitary successful strike before he was substituted 18 minutes from time looked to have made the difference, with Gloucester 8-6 ahead before Murphy struck. In the first half, Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan, comfortably the best player on view, had scored his team's solitary try just two minutes after Leicester flanker Ben Herring was yellow-carded.

And Morgan, who won England honours under Brian Ashton's coaching regime, also produced a solid defensive display, highlighted through a crunching tackle on blockbusting Leicester wing Alesana Tuilagi. But Leicester were streetwise when it mattered, expertly closing the game out as suffocating pressure forced the mistake from which Flood prospered.

In the north east, Matthew Tait enjoyed a triumphant return to his former club as Sale squeezed out Newcastle. An early try from Charlie Hodgson gave the Sharks the advantage, and former All Black Luke McAlister did the rest with the boot to secure victory, despite two penalties and a drop goal from Newcastle youngster Rory Clegg.

In the west country derby, Bath triumphed over Bristol, scoring three tries to two as South African stand-off James kicked 18 points for their first Premiership victory at the Memorial Stadium since March 1998. Andrew Blowers and David Lemi scored before half time for Bristol, with Joe Maddock and Tom Cheeseman going over for the away side. But number eight Jonny Fa'amatuainu finished from 30 metres for the fifth try of the game as Bath stretched away after the break.