Half-time: Gloucester Rugby 3 Ospreys 0

Gloucester lead Ospreys at half-time in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final at the Ricoh Arena – but have had to withstand a barrage of Welsh pressure.

Ryan Lamb’s early penalty was enough to give Gloucester Rugby the lead at the break – but they are slightly fortunate to be ahead after facing wave after wave of Ospreys pressure.

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

Lamb kicked Gloucester into a third-minute lead after Olly Morgan had been obstructed by Gavin 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.

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

Scorers: Pen – Lamb.

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

Ref: N Owens (Wales).