Akapusi Qera was still caked in the mud of a cold and drizzling Kingsholm when he admitted that homesickness for the sunny skies and waving palm trees of Fiji is a prime emotion as he nears the end of a long, hard first season in the Guinness Premiership.

Those dreams of home, however, seem merely to be serving as extra incentive for the explosive Qera, as demonstrated by the hat-trick of tries and man-of-the-match performance that helped to keep Gloucester on track for a home semi-final.

It was also a result that confirmed Leeds Carnegie's relegation, after a brave but unequal struggle against 11 other clubs who possess a strength and depth of both players and resources that, quite simply, are in a different league. Stuart Lancaster, the Leeds director of rugby, says his squad will be better and tougher for the experience, but the departure to Bath of Stuart Hooper, the captain, will not be their sole loss.

Qera chose Gloucester ahead of Saracens before starring for Fiji at last autumn's World Cup and says his deeds in Europe are followed closely back home. Gloucester's Heineken Cup quarter-final elimination was thus just as big a disappointment for all the family and friends he longs to see again, after more than eight months away. Which is why another six weeks of huge commitment by the 16-stone flanker, especially if it leads to ultimate Premiership silverware, would not be so much of a hardship.

"I have not been home since well before the World Cup, and I am hoping that Gloucester's management will allow me a good break back in Fiji after the end of the season," Qera said.

"I am missing a lot of people, but I made a great choice in coming to Gloucester and I have really enjoyed playing in as strong a competition as the Premiership. If we play well as a team, I think we can win it."

Dean Ryan, the Gloucester head coach, called Qera "a world-class talent who reads the game so well and gets in the game so well". He will also have been interested in how collectively powerful his back-row unit looked, especially as it was only the third time this season that Qera has been joined by Alastair Strokosch on the blindside flank and Gareth Delve at No8.

The two previous starts by this particular trio had come in the Heineken Cup group victories away at Bourgoin and at home to Ulster, and England's Luke Narraway - rested for this game - will know he has to be on the top of his game, going into the play-offs, if he is to start ahead of Delve, the Wales No8.

Gloucester have lost only once at home in the Premiership since May 2006, and Leeds deserve much credit for holding their own into the breeze until Qera bullocked into the heart of their defence to set up Olivier Azam for a try by the posts on the half-hour.

Qera's three tries were all a result of his close-range power, although his second was as much due to having the entire Gloucester pack on his back as he went over from a lineout catch and drive.

Ryan Lamb's interception try after 52 minutes, which added to his two earlier penalties, was the work of a pickpocket sharp enough to have been in Fagin's gang, and kept Gloucester unerringly on course for the try-scoring bonus point they desired.

Yet if Qera was the stand-out player, and Lamb again the cheeky chappy, then the prizes for bravery on the day must go to Robin Goodliffe and Ashley Reay, the touch judges, who each spent a half running up and down in front of The Shed dressed in pink, as part of the Premiership-wide weekend support for the charity Breast Cancer Care.

Scorers: Gloucester: Tries: Qera 3 (13min, 62, 71), Azam (29), Lamb (52). Conversions: Lamb 4. Penalty goals: Lamb 2 (24, 51). Leeds Carnegie: Try: Edwards (80+2). Conversion: Brooks. Penalty goals: Di Bernardo 2 (15, 20). Dropped goal: Di Bernardo (27).

Scoring sequence (Gloucester first): 7-0, 7-3, 7-6, 10-6, 10-9, 17-9 (half-time), 20-9, 25-9, 32-9, 39-9, 39-16.

Gloucester: W Walker (rep: O Morgan 63); I Balshaw, J Simpson-Daniel, M Tindall, L Vainikolo (rep: C Paterson, 50); R Lamb, G Cooper; A Dickinson, O Azam (rep: A Titterrell, 41), C Nieto (rep: J Forster, 63), W James (sin-bin, 35-40+3), M Bortolami (sin-bin, 79), A Strokosch (rep: P Buxton, 60), A Qera, G Delve (rep: P Buxton, 30-36).

Leeds Carnegie: L Hinton (rep: J Goodridge, 52); S Armstrong, R Vickerman, L Burrell, J Holtby; A Di Bernardo (rep: J Brooks, 70), J Bedford (rep: D Edwards, 72); M MacDonald, J Parkes (rep: V Ma'asi, 52; sin-bin, 61-73), F Pala'amo (rep: A Hopcroft, 63), P Bouza (rep: E Lund, 63), S Hooper (sin-bin, 35-40+3), R Oakley, C Clark (rep: K Myall, 52), M Lock (rep: J Parkes, 61-73).

Referee: M Fox.

Attendance: 11,753.