Olivier Azam has vowed to help Gloucester topple Leicester as the English champions just months after considering returning to France when allegations of racism were made against him and Gloucester supporters by the Newcastle director of rugby Rob Andrew.

Andrew returns to Kingsholm today for the first time since the Premiership meeting between the clubs in December when Azam was sent off for fighting with the Newcastle flanker Epi Taione.

Azam has just signed a new three-year contract with Gloucester and will line up against Newcastle in the Zurich Championship quarter-final but Taione is out with a hand injury. The hooker is unlikely to extend the hand of friendship to Andrew who last week issued an apology to Azam and the Gloucester supporters.

"This has been the hardest season of my career off the pitch," said Azam. "It was very difficult when I appeared at the first RFU hearing. A lot of people were there and I kept asking myself why, because nothing had happened on the pitch.

"There is no place for racism in sport and I did not say the words attributed to me. I thought about going back to France because a number of clubs were interested in signing me, but my parents and wife talked me round and I put my faith in justice.

"I knew I had done nothing wrong and I was vindicated in the end, even if the wheels of justice took a long time to turn. I was very hurt by the accusations but I have received an apology and that is the end of the matter, even if Rob Andrew is not likely to be the most popular person at Kings-holm. The supporters will be right behind us."

Azam added: "We have done very well as a team this season. Gloucester have a huge project that we want to fulfil over the next couple of years and I want to be a part of it. Returning to France would have been the easy option a few months ago, but when everything is considered this has not been a bad season for me.

"Gloucester qualified for the Heineken Cup and I regained my place in the France squad. I have a lot to be grateful for and what is important against Newcastle is not that we think about what happened a few months ago but that we take another step to winning a trophy.

"Supporters in England are not yet sure how to regard the play-offs whereas in France they are very popular. They need to be given a few more years here and we are certainly not going to take the chance to win the trophy lightly."

Gloucester's rugby director Nigel Melville believes Andrew, his former England half-back colleague, will receive a "white-hot" reception today. "The crowd will be very vocal but we have to make our statement on the pitch," he said.