Tigers add to sense of doom at Kingsholm

Although the Six Nations takes a breather next weekend, there is no rest for the wicked. Martin Johnson, the England captain, concentrates his beetle brow on the Powergen Cup on Saturday when Leicester take on Gloucester in the first semi-final at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton.

Whereas the Tigers have run into prime form and have a treble chance of honours, Gloucester have been asked by their chairman Tom Walkinshaw to take a pay cut to help solve the club's cash crisis. One agent, who represents half a dozen players at Kingsholm, said: "If new contracts are not offered within the next few weeks their names will be put on the market.''

With Walkinshaw's TWR Group going into receivership, a reported takeover bid by a South African company has been flatly denied by Gloucester. A cup final to look forward to at Twickenham would make Walkinshaw's day.

Phil Vickery, the captain, who has been out with a back injury, sees a specialist on Tuesday but Trevor Woodman, who suffered a neck injury with England in the autumn, has resumed training and could reappear in the Cherry and Whites' front row.

The ticket hotline at Kingsholm has been tepid. To date, Gloucester have sold fewer than 2,000 of their allocation of 5,000 tickets although they expect business to pick up tomorrow when seats go on general sale, priority having been given to season-ticket holders.

Nevertheless Leicester are confident of having the lion's share of the crowd in their pursuit of a cup that has eluded them since 1997, despite having won seven trophies in four years, including a successful defence of the Heineken Cup.

After losing to Wasps in December, Leicester's goal was to win their next six matches, a mission that has been accomplished. It has not only put them in the last four of the Powergen and the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, but back in the frame for the Zurich Premiership.

It has been dominated almost from the start by Gloucester, but the Tigers have moved into third place and the clubs finishing second and third play off to challenge the leaders for the title in the final at Twickenham at the end of May. Their reward for an unlikely treble? "There should be a few extra quid in it for the players, but nothing grand,'' said a spokesman.

Lewis Moody, who went off early in the second half of the England-France match, hurting the shoulder on which he had had an operation in November, has an appointment with a consultant tomorrow. Austin Healey, recovering from an Achilles injury, is expected to return next month. Leicester have an awful lot of rugby to look forward to, but have a strong squad. Even if Moody doesn't make it they could field a back row of Josh Kronfeld, Martin Corry and Neil Back.

In the second semi-final, Northampton play London Irish at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on Sunday. Aside from seeking to avenge last season's humiliating defeat in the final to an inspired Irish, Northampton's incentive in winning the Powergen is a guaranteed place in next season's European Cup.