A last-minute kick from Matt Toomua secured a losing bonus point for Leicester Tigers in a 24-17 defeat by Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm on Saturday.

Tries from Mick Malouf – who later left the field injured – and Joe Ford had Tigers in front in the first half in the Round 14 encounter in the Aviva Premiership season. But on both occasions Gloucester responded in kind as half-time arrived with the score tied at 14-14.

A period down to 14 men, after a yellow card to Logovi’i Mulipola, proved costly early in the second period as Billy Twelvetrees kicked a penalty and then converted a try from Matt Scott as the hosts led by 10 points with 20 minutes remaining.

Tigers then spent a lengthy period defending their own line before Toomua’s kick secured some consolation.

Gloucester began the day in fifth place in the Premiership table with eight wins from 13 games – dropping one spot after Bath’s big win over Northampton on Friday evening – and with six more than eighth-placed Leicester as the clubs met for a third time in the season following wins for Tigers in the league and cup in the autumn.

Tigers welcomed back Telusa Veainu, Manu Tuilagi and Tom Youngs after injury for the first Premiership fixture of the vital Six Nations period, while Brendon O’Connor made his 50th appearance for the club. Former Leicester duo Fraser Balmain and Ed Slater started among the Gloucester replacements, while Billy Twelvetrees started at centre, though Owen Williams was left out after returning from the Wales squad.

The opening exchanges were played out in the Gloucester half, Tigers showing strong work off the ball and setting up a decent lineout drive which opened a gap for Matt Toomua, only for the ball to fall loose as he tried to offload.

Gloucester felt their way into the game with two breaks down their right which had The Shed in good voice, but Tigers cleared well from their lineout as Sam Harrison kicked back up to halfway.

The breakthrough for Tigers came, ironically, just as Gloucester looked to be building a head of steam in attack with Malouf stepping in to intercept a weak pass and running clear from just outside his own 22. Joe Ford added the extras for a seven-point lead on 12 minutes.

Smart work from Brendon O’Connor earned Tigers a penalty just inside their own half with 17 minutes gone and Ford pushed play down the right for a lineout on the 22. But with The Cherry and Whites lined up in defence, Tigers were pushed back and also suffered a blow when Sione Kalamafoni needed physio treatment after a carry in midfield.

Jason Woodward threatened the Tigers line when he picked off a chip from Ford and launched a counter-attack before Tuilagi and Malouf combined to close the door near the touchline.

A soft pitch and biting wind did not make it easy, but both sides looked determined to keep the ball in play, which only added to the drain on energy levels as the half progressed.

Gloucester lost wing Ollie Thorley to injury after 25 minutes, with Matt Scott joining the backline just as Veainu produced a 60-metre clearing kick which penned the hosts back.

Veainu over-shot his next clearing kick, though, bringing Gloucester back into the Tigers half with a lineout on their left. Big tackles from Toomua and then Kitchener snuffed out danger and then the Tigers lock latched on to a wayward pass on halfway to overturn possession.

But Gloucester did not need a second invitation as they made use of extra numbers out wide to set Henry Trinder away on a 50-metre run to the line, with Malouf injured in making a tackle earlier in the move.

Gloucester had to wait to take their conversion while Malouf received lengthy medical attention, with Mathew Tait sent on as a replacement. Malouf was eventually led off, to warm applause from all four sides of the stadium, as Twelvetrees knocked over the kick to level the scores entering the last 10 minutes of the half.

But Tigers produced an immediate reply from Ford with his first try for the club.