Gloucester 40-23 Benetton - Gallagher Premiership side win thriller to reach EPCR Challenge Cup final

Gloucester booked their place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24 after beating Benetton Treviso 40-23 in the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final.

A win in the final could be their second trophy this season after clinching the Premiership Cup, and it would be their third Challenge Cup trophy.

First-half tries from Josh Hathaway and Seb Blake saw them hit a 15-6 lead, before Rhyno Smith scored at the end of the first half with a magical score.

Adam Hastings and Freddie Clarke added tries while Benetton’s Gianmarco Lucchesi scored two of his own to keep his side in contention.

But Hastings’ boot and a late try from Ollie Thorley took them to 40 points and all the way to the final with a decisive win.

Gloucester are heading to their fifth EPCR Challenge Cup final after an emphatic 40-23 win over Benetton at Kingsholm on Saturday.

Gloucester started as strong as they possibly could, throwing a slew of strong carries and smart movement at Benetton. It was only a matter of time before they got points on the board and did so just six minutes in through Josh Hathaway.

Captain Lewis Ludlow stole possession in Benetton’s 22, and a kick-through from Chris Harris wasn’t cleared up by the Italian’s backline, allowing Hathaway to pounce and open the scoring.

It took roughly 10 more minutes for Benetton to get some sort of foothold into the game but started to poke a few holes in Gloucester’s defence with some pacey carries, forcing a penalty, which Tomas Albornoz slotted over to get his side on the board.

Hastings, who missed the conversion for the opening try, responded with a penalty of his own a few minutes later. Gloucester, who have struggled in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby season and leaked tries, looked calm and measured as they managed to nullify Benetton for much of the half. They made that count shortly before 30 minutes with a trademark maul try in which hooker Blake crashed over with the ball in hand.

It seemed the hosts would walk into the second period on top but in the 40th minute, Benetton produced a magic moment. Stealing from Gloucester’s scrum, they raced from one 22 to another, putting it through the hands for Smith to blaze past two defenders and score.

Despite a Hastings penalty in the second, Benetton got themselves on top with a maul try of their own through Gianmarco Lucchesi. Albornoz missed the conversion that would have drawn them level. Regardless, the game was beginning to open up and you’d bet the Italians to thrive in the looseness.

Instead, it was Gloucester who thrived. Hastings capped a strong performance and return to form with a try after a slick break from Thorley.

Five minutes later, despite 17 minutes left on the clock, Gloucester’s fans felt the win in reach. Clarke produced another memorable European try when he intercepted Albornoz’s pass, running 50 metres and diving under the posts.

A second try from Lucchesi came and so did another Hastings penalty, but it was a late try from Thorley that confirmed the win, eliciting a huge roar from a crowd clad in red and white as their beloved side sailed through to another final.

Gloucester's Premiership campaign has been dismal this year with just four wins and a boatload of tries conceded. But a huge win over a formidable side in Benetton and a fifth Challenge Cup final could save George Skivington's season.

With one trophy, the Premiership Cup, in the bag, a second will sweeten a sad year for Gloucester fans.

Sharks will be tough opposition but after today, Gloucester have every chance of doing it.

Again, obviously - whatever you want to say. But he deserves it. The No. 8 is consistently the glue that holds this Gloucester side together and delivers in the biggest moments with grace and aggression in equal measures.

Even with a yellow card to his name today he showed why he's one of, if not already the best eight in the Premiership.

Gloucester: Vivas 7, Blake 8, Gotovstev 7, Clarke 7, Thomas 7, Ackermann 7, Ludlow 8, Mercer 9, Englefield 9, Hastings 8, Thorley 7, Atkinson 7, Harris 7, May 6, Hathaway 7.

Replacements: Socino 7, Ford-Robinson 8, Knight 7, Tuisue 7, Varney 6 Hearle 6.

Benetton: Gallo 6, Nicotera 5, Ferrari 6, Scrafton 6, Snyman 6, Negri 5, Lamaro 7, Halafihi 6, Garbisi 6, Albornoz 5, Ratave 7, Brex 5, Menoncello 5, Mendy 6, Smith 7.

Replacements: Lucchesi 8, Spagnolo 5, Zilocchi 5, Cannone 5, Iachizzi 5, Izekor 5, Uren 4.

6’ TRY! JOSH HATHAWAY | GLOUCESTER 5-0 BENETTON - Josh Hathaway pounces on a Chris Harris grubber that Benetton's backline can't clear up.

28’ TRY! SEB BLAKE | GLOUCESTER 15-6 BENETTON - That's the Gloucester of a few seasons back, trademark lineout maul. The Cherry and Whites' pack powers through the visitor's forwards and Seb Blake dots down with ball in hand.

36’ YELLOW CARD! ZACH MERCER - Mercer heads to the sin-bin for a trip on Rhyno Smith after missing the fullback in the tackle.

40’ TRY! SMITH | GLOUCESTER 15-11 BENETTON - Benetton push Gloucester's scrum HARD and steal the ball. The backline then races from one 22 to another, putting it through the hands and Smith blazes past two defenders with the touchline incredibly close to score.

54’ TRY! LUCCHESI | GLOUCESTER 18-16 BENETTON - They fire back with a powerful maul try of their own! Substitute hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi has ball in hand as the side as the maul crashes over.

58’ TRY! HASTINGS | GLOUCESTER 25-16 BENETTON - Some incredible moments of skill amongst a rather blunted attack. But Ollie Thorley and his quick feet escape the Benetton defenders and he's stopped short of the line. Engelfield is quick to the ruck and fires a flat pass to Hastings who scores, and converts his own to try to bring the lead to nine.

63’ TRY! CLARKE | GLOUCESTER 32-16 - Freddie Clarke! The roar around Kingsholm as Clarke intercepted Albornoz's try will give you goosebumps. The second-row perfectly anticipated the fly-half's pass and his near-fifty metre run under the posts has turned the tide totally in Gloucester's favour.

66’ TRY! LUCCHESI | GLOUCESTER 32-23 BENETTON - A second for Lucchesi and this game opening up nicely. 15 minutes to go and you wouldn't be surprised if Benetton muster up a late surge here....

78’ TRY! THORLEY | GLOUCESTER 40-23 BENETTON - Gloucester twists the knife and they're off to Tottenham Stadium! Good muscle from the hosts to make Benetton cough up the ball and Hastings pokes it through, allowing Thorley to pick up and score.

This marks Gloucester's fifth Challenge Cup final and if they win, they'll take their third trophy, drawing level with beaten-semi-finalists Clermont Auvergne.

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