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Cup win is a start says Cockerill

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Richard Cockerill hopes a first home win of the season, against Gloucester on Friday, can be the start of "better things to come" for Leicester Tigers.

Tigers welcomed back nine internationals for their seasonal debuts after the World Cup as the Welford Road crowd celebrated four tries in a 40-14 victory over LV= Cup holders Gloucester.

After three successive league defeats on home soil, the result brought some relief to players and supporters alike. But Cockerill and his squad will not be getting carried away.

“There’s still plenty of work to do, but you hope that it’s a start,” said Tigers director of rugby Cockerill.

“We’re not going to get of ourselves because we’ve won the game but the place will be a bit happier when we come back in on Monday and we’ll hope this is the beginning of better to come.”

Dan Cole, Manu Tuilagi and Horacio Agulla, all back from the World Cup, claimed tries, with Tom Youngs marking his first start at hooker with a strong finish for the other score.

“It’s a good result for the boys, they were all enjoying being back and playing for us, and the composure of the team was good,” said Cockerill.

“I’ve taken a bit of stick for the side I picked last week but the senior guys will have gained from a few extra days’ rest.

“You can prepare as well as you can and have as much structure as you want but, as you saw with the last try from Agulla and the break by Manu, really good players can make things happen.

“Our problems are not solved by one win. You have to take it in context, as I have said during the last six or seven weeks. But we did some good things and there are also areas to work on. Now we have to build on that performance at Sale on Friday, London Irish at home and then into Europe.”