Gloucester beat Benetton to reach Challenge Cup final

European Challenge Cup semi-final

Gloucester: (15) 40

Tries: Hathaway, Blake, Hastings, Clarke, Thorley Pens: Hastings 2, Englefield Cons: Hastings 3

Benetton: (13) 23

Tries: Smith, Lucchesi 2 Pens: Albornoz 2 Cons: Albornoz

Gloucester stormed into their fifth European Challenge Cup final with a 40-23 win over Italian side Benetton at Kingsholm.

Tries from Josh Hathaway and Seb Blake helped Gloucester to a 15-6 lead before Rhyno Smith pulled a score back right before the break, while the hosts had a man in the sin bin.

But Adam Hastings and a showstopper interception try from Freddie Clarke stretched the Cherry and Whites' lead either side of two Gianmarco Lucchesi scores before Ollie Thorley added a fifth score right at the death.

Gloucester will now face South African side Sharks in the final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 24 May.

More to follow.

Gloucester: Hathaway, May, Harris, S. Atkinson, Thorley, Hastings, Englefield; Vivas, Blake, Gotovtsev, Clarke, Thomas, Ackermann, Ludlow © Mercer.

Replacements: Socino, Ford-Robinson, Knight, Tuisue, Clement, Varney, C. Atkinson, Hearle.

Sin bin: Zach Mercer (35 mins)

Benetton: Smith, Mendy, Menoncello, Brex, Ratave, Albornoz, Garbisi; Gallo, Nicotera, Ferrari, Scrafton, Snyman, Negri, Lamaro ©, Halafihi.

Replacements: Lucchesi, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Cannone, Iachizzi, Izekor, Uren, Marin.

Referee: Nika Amashukeli