THAT’S IT. It’s official. Leeds Carnegie will swap places with Northampton Saints in the Guinness Premiership next season. Their exit, which has been looming all season, was confirmed by Gloucester, the Premiership leaders, with a five-try demolition job - three of them touched down by Akapusi Qera, their all-action Fijian flanker.

The question now is can Leeds bounce straight back from National League One, as they did last season?

Stuart Hooper, the Leeds captain, has already signed for Bath, but he is the only major departure. Stuart Lancaster, their director of rugby, is already on a recruitment drive, and insists he will start next season with a stronger playing squad than started the current campaign.

The question for Gloucester is can they turn their league form into silverware at the playoffs?

Against Leeds they did what they had to do. “We are not a good enough side to simply sit back and let it happen for us,” said Dean Ryan, Gloucester’s director of rugby. “We have to go out and work for a performance that will, in turn, bring us a result.”

Leeds made Ryan’s men work early on, but Gloucester were simply too good for them. Leeds have a well-drilled pack and a well-organised back-line. Their problem, however, is that you just can’t see where their tries are going to come from. Alberto Di Bernardo, their Italian fly-half, kept them in the hunt with two early penalties and a well-struck drop goal, but it was not until injury time that Darren Edwards managed their only try.

It was Hooper and his forwards who won the field positions for Bernardo, with a good pick-and-go driving game. In fact, it was refreshing to see the tight forwards pumping their legs and making useful yardage, rather than simply burrowing in to the ground.

For all the visitors’ defiance, though, it was Gloucester who took the game by the scruff of the neck with Qera’s first try, in the 13th minute, that Ryan Lamb converted. Qera then slipped a tackle and made the inroads for Olivier Azam to score at the posts. It almost made amends for the Frenchman’s wayward lineout throwing.

That left the score at 17-9 in Gloucester’s favour at half-time, and both teams a man short, after Will James and Hooper were sent to the bin for fighting.

You can base a creditable team talk on an eight-point deficit, but Lamb soon put Leeds out of their misery with his second penalty and a solo try, courtesy of an interception.

Scenting blood, Gloucester nailed the bonus-point try when Vili Ma’asi, only just on as a replacement, was yellow-carded for holding back James. Lamb ignored the easy three points and kicked for the corner; Bortolami won the lineout and the impressive Qera claimed his second try as his pack steamrollered Leeds over their own line.

Andy Titterrell was on by now, and his throw found Bortolami at the next lineout. Again the Gloucester pack drove him on, and this time Qera sprinted over from five yards for a deserved hat-trick.

Star man: Akapusi Qera (Gloucester)

Gloucester:W Walker (O Morgan 62min); I Balshaw, J Simpson-Daniel, M Tindall, L Vainikolo (C Paterson 48min); R Lamb, G Cooper; A Dickinson, O Azam (A Titterrell 62min), C Nieto (J Forster 62min), W James, M Bortolami (capt, A Brown 80min), A Strokosch (P Buxton 59min), G Delve (P Buxton 28-35min), A Qera

Leeds:L Hinton (J Goodridge 50min); S Armstrong, R Vickerman, L Burrell, J Holtby; A Di Bernardo (J Brooks 69min), J Bedford (D Edwards 67min); M MacDonald, J Parkes (V Ma’asi 50min), F Pala’amo (A Hopcroft 62min), P Bouza, S Hooper (capt), R Oakley, M Lock, C Clark (K Myall 50min)

Scorers: Gloucester: Tries: Qera (3), Azam, Lamb Cons: Lamb (4) Pens: Lamb (2) Leeds: Try: Edwards Con:Brooks Pens: Di Bernardo (2) DG: Di Bernardo

Yellow cards: Gloucester: James (34min) Leeds: Hooper (34min), Ma’asi (61min)

Referee: M Fox (RFU) Attendance: 11,753