Cup stars may be back for Tigers

LEICESTER Tigers could be boosted by the return of World Cup winners Martin Corry and Dorian West for the Zurich Premiership encounter at home to Gloucester tomorrow.

Number eight Corry faces a fitness test today on the hamstring he pulled playing for England against the New Zealand Barbarians a fortnight ago while hooker West has made a rapid recovery from his mid-December cartilage operation and is in line for a

recall. Leicester director of rugby Dean Richards said of West: "Dorian has trained hard all this week and is touch and go for the weekend."

The Tigers are beset with other injury problems with Julian White (knee), Lewis Moody (foot), Geordan Murphy (broken leg) and Daryl Gibson (hamstring) all out for the medium to long-term. Captain Martin Johnson, made an CBE in the New Year's Honours, has also been restricted by injury but Richards remains confident the World Cup winner will feature from either the bench or in the starting line up.

"He had a niggling injury last week but has trained fully this week," Richards told the Leicester Mercury. "We will see how things are and

decide on Friday."

Fly-half Andy Goode, who rejoined Tigers just before Christmas until the end of the season, started against Leeds last weekend and he is hoping to be given another chance to impress

tomorrow. "I was delighted to be thrown back in," he said. "Any player who plays professional rugby wants to play games. I want to play as many as I can for Leicester and help us move back up the table.

"It was a great feeling running out there on Saturday, another game, another win and we have Gloucester to look forward to.

"Gloucester are not too far ahead of us now in the table. They have had a mixed season as well and this is a fantastic opportunity to put a marker down.

"They were obviously the form side last year. They will be tough up front but hopefully we can get the forward dominance we got against Leeds and set the platform up and come away with another win." Gloucester, who already have Phil Vickery (rib) and Steve Brotherstone (knee) on a long injured list, will be without Thinus Delport.

The South Africa full-back was stretchered off against Harlequins last weekend with damaged anterior cruciate and medial knee ligaments and is expected to be out for nine months.

The Cherry and Whites have won their last three encounters with the Tigers but have won only one of their past 12 games at Welford Road 53-15 in the semi-final of the short lived Cheltenham & Gloucester Cup in March 1998.

Meanwhile, Saracens beat only their second side of the season as they swept past Leeds Tykes 27-3 at Vicarage Road, winning only their third match of the season.