English rugby may continue to tear itself apart, and some parts of the World Cup reports not already leaked are due in midweek, but the old order is gradually reasserting itself with Leicester beginning to flex a few muscles.

"There is still half a season to go," said their captain and full‑back, Geordan Murphy, on Saturday after beating Gloucester at Kingsholm to give the Tigers their third consecutive win after starting the season with one league victory from six. They may still be in 10th position but such is the congestion in mid-table that the Tigers are only four points behind Northampton in the final play-off spot and meet their Midlands rivals at Welford Road on Saturday.

"In the last few seasons it's been a real humdinger," said Murphy, with obvious relief at the way Leicester are recovering from their slow start. After Northampton come the back-to-back games against Clermont Auvergne, second in the French league, which will probably decide who makes it to Europe's knock-out stages.

"Our guys were disappointed with everything that happened at the World Cup, but that's done and dusted now. They are back at Leicester," said Murphy.

"Different people have different ways of handling things. Traditionally Leicester players have always been good at leaving international duty and coming back and getting into the club stuff. If anyone comes back … and thinks they are above their station then they are quickly brought back to ground by the coaches and players."

In fact 10 of Leicester's matchday squad had been in New Zealand, but it was the two England half‑backs, Toby Flood and Ben Youngs, who particularly caught the eye in a game which had more fire in the first 10 minutes than England managed in any half at the World Cup.

Flood scored all but five of Leicester's points, creating and scoring one try and landing three of his six kicks, but it was the extra pace injected by Youngs that took the game away from Gloucester. After 25 minutes against Ulster the previous week, the scrum-half came on at half-time to prove he has fully recovered from the knee injury that so angered Leicester's director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, when the player returned from New Zealand.

Now Cockerill cannot wait to rid himself of the World Cup hangover and the ongoing recriminations. "I am sick and tired of reading about it," said Cockerill. "I want to get on with the rugby and I hope it all gets sorted sooner rather than later. I want to be talking about the good things in rugby, of which there are plenty. The game has been dragged through the mud a little bit."

After starting the day in 11th place, the early kick‑off on Saturday and the distortions in the league table saw Leicester temporarily sitting two points off the play‑offs when the final whistle blew to seal Gloucester's third home defeat in a row. After going two seasons and 32 matches without a league defeat at home, Kingsholm is beginning to lose some of its aura. But as Cockerill suggested, that may only be temporary: "It is an exceptionally good result for us to come here and win. We are slowly taking shape and we've got to keep working at it."

Gloucester Morgan; Sharples, Trinder, Tindall, Vainikolo (May 66); Burns, R Lawson; Wood, Dawiduik (S Lawson 50), Harden, James, Hamilton, Strokosch, Qera (Buxton 76), Narraway (capt).

Try Narraway. Pens Burns 3.

Leicester Murphy; Agulla, Smith, Twelvetrees, Tuilagi; Flood, Harrison (Youngs h‑t); Ayerza, Chuter, Castrogiovanni (Cole 59), Deacon, Skivington, Croft (Mafi 75), Woods, Waldrom (Slater 77).

Tries Flood, Tuilagi. Pens Flood 3.

Referee J P Doyle (Ire). Attendance 14,437.