Leicester Tigers stick by Jeremy Staunton with Toby Flood on bench

Toby Flood's impressive showing off the bench against Newport has not earned him a starting slot in the Leicester Tigers side to face Gloucester at Kingsholm on Friday night.

The 24-year-old England fly-half made his first appearance in a Tigers shirt in more than six months last Saturday and looked sharp in a 22-minute showing in the LV= Cup game.

However, it was not enough to encourage Tigers head coach Richard Cockerill to drop Jeremy Staunton, and the former Wasps and Ireland man is set to start his 11th game of the season when the Guinness Premiership champions return to league action.

"Floody looked like he had never been away, which is good news for us," said Cockerill.

"But he will be on the bench this weekend because the same rules apply to Toby Flood as anyone else at the club.

"Jeremy Staunton has done a great job for us since coming here.

"Some people like him and some people don't – but he has played all but one game and has done a good job for us.

"I have to keep faith in the guys who have done that job so far."

Cockerill added that winger Johne Murphy returns to the mix after being away on Ireland A duty last weekend, and that All Black centre Aaron Mauger would also feature after being rested for the 29-20 win over Newport Gwent Dragons.

"It will be pretty much the same squad as last week," he said.

"We are likely to get George Chuter, Ben Kay and Jordan Crane back from England, and you would obviously like those guys in the side.

"We don't get them until Wednesday morning.

"But these are adjustments we have to make and just get on with it."

Cockerill will take his fourth-placed team to the west country to face a Cherry and Whites side who are struggling in 10th place after just two wins from seven games.

Tigers have won on their last three visits to the once impregnable Kingsholm but Cockerill believes Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath's side will see the clash as a chance to turn their season around.

"They have a lot of quality in their side with the likes of Gareth Delve at No.8, prop Greg Somerville is an All Black and Nick Wood at loose-head," he said.

"They also have the likes of Olly Morgan at full-back, Lesley Vainikolo on the wing and Henry Trinder has played well for them recently too."

Cockerill added: "Things have not got right for them so far and they will want a turning point in their season.

"They will see a home game with Leicester as their chance to do just that.

"We will have to meet their fire with skill and make sure that we execute well."