Full-time: Gloucester 17 Ospreys 0

Ryan Lamb kicked 12 points and Iain Balshaw scored an interception try as Gloucester Rugby saw off Ospreys to reach the EDF Energy Cup final.

The Guinness Premiership side will play at Twickenham on April 18 after beating their Welsh opponents at Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena.

Gloucester had to repel wave after wave of Ospreys attack before half-time – and reaped their reward after the break.

Gloucester’s Mike Tindall and Ospreys’ Gavin Henson both hobbled off during a strangely muted opening 40 minutes.

Lamb kicked Gloucester into a third-minute lead after Olly Morgan had been obstructed by Henson and Adam Jones as he kicked down-field.

Ospreys then missed an opportunity to level when James Hook failed to punish Alasdair Dickinson’s indiscretion at a ruck.

Tindall thought he had released Iain Balshaw – but play was called back for a forward pass – and the Welsh side then began to dominate territory and possession.

Gloucester were on the back foot after Anthony Allen’s knock on – but when they strayed offside attempting to make amends, Hook was off-target with the penalty.

Breaks from Sonny Parker and Hook tested the Gloucester defence – and the cherry and white wall stood firm.

And when Hook opted against going for the posts after Gareth Delve had killed the ball, Ospreys went close to scoring off the line-out but could not find a way over.           

Shane Williams pierced the Gloucester defence with a mesmerising break shortly after the restart – but he was tackled, lost possession and allowed Gloucester to counter.

From the same attack, they won a penalty when an Osprey failed to roll away from the tackle, and Lamb made it 6-0.

The same player kicked his side into a 9-0 lead with a drop goal – after Morgan had set up the attack by brilliantly gathering Lamb’s high kick over the Ospreys defence. 

And Lamb increased Gloucester’s lead to 12 points with a penalty after the Ospreys were penalised for losing their bind at a scrum.

With Ospreys pushing to get back into the match, Mike Phillips took over after Williams’ break was halted – but the replacement scrum-half threw the ball straight to Balshaw, who tore up-field to seal his side’s victory.

Gloucester: O Morgan; I Balshaw (G Cooper 80), M Tindall (capt; M Watkins 33), A Allen, J Simpson-Daniel (O Barkley 41); R Lamb, R Lawson; A Dickinson (C Nieto 37), O Azam (S Lawson 62), G Somerville, W James (M Bortolami 71), A Brown (M Bortolami 5-15), A Strokosch, A Hazell (A Qera 52), G Delve.

Scorers: Try – Balshaw. Pens – Lamb (3). Drop goal – Lamb.

Ospreys: G Henson (J Spratt 40); T Bowe, S Parker, A Bishop (D Biggar 72), S Williams; J Hook, J Nutbrown (M Phillips 54); P James (C Griffiths 80), R Hibbard (H Bennett 61), A Jones, I Gough (A-W Jones 29), A Lloyd (F Tiatia 65), T Smith, M Holah, R Jones (capt).

 

Ref: N Owens (Wales).