We need strong finish - Ludlow

GLOUCESTER have been a cup team this season but skipper Lewis Ludlow is demanding a strong finish to the Premiership campaign which resumes this weekend after an at eight-week break.

- PAUL REES

Gloucester are Leicester on Friday night, the team they beat in the Premiership Cup final two days ago to claim their first trophy in nine years. The Cherry and Whites ended a run of nine straight league defeats when they beat Sale in the last round in January and Ludlow has targeted a rise up the table.

"The Premiership is relentless with games similar week on week and teams heavily analysed," said the 29-year old back rower who earlier in the season signed a contract extension with Glouces ter. "If you have a weakness, a team will find it within the first 10 minutes of a game and then double down on it.

"The cups are a bit different. You have more freedom to play and in Europe you tend to face teams from different leagues. The analysis is not the same and there are variations to the defences and attacks you face.

"The margin between good and bad in the Premiership is very fine, but less so in the cups. We will be going all out in the last six rounds of the league to ensure we finish as high up the table as possible.

"The break has been strange in a way but it was good for us that we had two cup games which gave us something to get stuck into and at the start of the season we targeted having a good run in the Premiership Cup.