SECOND-half tries from James Simpson-Daniel, Olivier Azam and Mike Tindall guaranteed Gloucester the bragging rights over local rivals Worcester Warriors in front of a record Kingsholm attendance of 15,781.

Gavin Quinnell came off the bench to score with his first touch of the ball to make it 16-7 and give the visitors hope of staging another dramatic comeback like they did against Wasps at Sixways the previous weekend.

However, Gloucester put their foot on the gas and ran out comfortable winners in a match that was littered with penalties and turn-overs by both sides.

Worcester had an early chance to open the scoring when Gloucester were penalised for not rolling away inside the first minute, but full-back Shane Drahm could not punish the hosts' indiscipline from a kickable position.

Gloucester then went on the offensive, but their promising breakaway was undermined when the ball was not released and Worcester were awarded a scrum.

However, at the scrum, Ryan Powell, who came into the Warriors starting XV for namesake Matt, was adjudged to have fed the ball.

Powell was left to heave a sigh of relief, though, as former Worcester player Luke Narraway knocked the ball on six metres out as Gloucester looked set to score the first try.

After seven minutes, a hush descended over Kingsholm as home number 10 Ryan Lamb lined up a penalty from a similar position to Drahm's unsuccessful attempt. But a roar did not follow as Lamb pushed his effort wide.

Two minutes later, Lamb had another effort to get the scoreboard ticking over. Gloucester flanker Andy Hazell misjudged his jump at a line-out and visiting skipper Pat Sanderson pounced on the bouncing ball.

From the breakaway, blindside flanker Drew Hickey, making his season debut after recovering from an elbow injury, was penalised for holding on to give Lamb another chance to open the scoring.

However, the stand-off's radar was off target again - this time from 41 metres out and well within his usual range - to maintain the stalemate.

The match threatened to boil over after 19 minutes when a crunching tackle from Marcel Garvey on his opposite number James Bailey, following a good spell of pressure by the hosts, sparked a flare-up.

Garvey was soon involved again when the Worcester back-line worked a series of phases across the pitch and back again.

When the former Kingsholm flyer received the ball, he opted to kick over the home defence but his effort was slightly too strong and the ball went into touch.

Just after the half-hour mark, Gloucester opened the scoring. Ryan Powell was penalised for going offside and, at the third time of asking, Lamb managed to split the posts.

The visitors' efforts continued to be undermined by their high penalty count as promising attacks were lost.

As the first-half drew to a close, Gloucester doubled their lead when Phil Murphy was penalised for a deliberate knock-on right in front of the posts and Lamb made no mistake.

Drahm then attempted to reduce the arrears with a drop-goal but, after receiving a poor pass from acting scrum-half Sanderson, he skewed his effort wide.

At the start of the second period, Dale Rasmussen was lucky not to get a yellow card after blocking Lamb, who was chasing his own up-and-under.

The Gloucester kicker punished the visitors to the tune of another three points to make it 9-0.

The game really turned in the hosts' favour just two minutes later when former Gloucester man Thinus Delport threw the ball out wide to no-one in particular only for Simpson-Daniel to gather.

The England man beat the South African to run from his own half and score under the posts, while Lamb added the extras.

On 55 minutes, a strong Worcester rolling maul was illegally halted and James Brown found a good touch.

The line-out ball was claimed and sent down the back line only for Delport to be held up just short of the line.

Three minutes later, director of rugby Mike Ruddock hauled off Hickey and replaced him with Quinnell.

The giant flanker had an immediate impact by crashing over to score and after Drahm added the simple conversion Worcester were back to within seven points.

However, the hosts never looked back and extended their lead when hooker Azam was driven over for the second try of the game.

Quinnell nearly crossed over again and the away fans thought their side had scored as Powell stretched for the line, but the Welsh scrum-half lost control of the ball.

Sanderson's game was finished early, though, as referee David Rose yellow-carded him with six minutes remaining for hands in the ruck.

Lamb stretched his side's advantage with a drop-goal, before Tindall, back after a five-month lay-off, scored the final try.

Lamb deftly chipped over the Worcester defence and the covering Garvey was wrong-footed by an awkward bounce allowing Tindall to pounce and complete the scoring.

Worcester have still never beaten their local rivals in top-flight action and the hosts were easily able to make sure that record remained intact.