Santiago Carreras kicked six penalties to steer Gloucester into the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup after a 23-13 victory over the Ospreys in front of a raucous crowd at Kingsholm.
This victory earns them a home semi-final against the winners of the Benetton vs Connacht match.
Hooker Seb Blake scored his only try to reward his pack for shading the forward battle by putting the Ospreys under pressure both in scrum and lineout with Ruan Ackermann and Zach Mercer punching holes in their defense.
Keelan Giles scored an excellent try for the Welsh side, with former Gloucester player Owen Williams adding two penalties and a conversion, but they will regret their lack of discipline that evening as they were penalized at will by the referee French.
Keelan Giles scores the first try of the European Challenge Cup encounter
A simple penalty from Carreras gave Gloucester an early lead, but they quickly fell behind after a superb try.
Halfway through, Adam Hastings passed a chip in front, which Jack Walsh collected at pace to race 45 yards before providing Giles with an easy run.
Williams converted before Carreras took his second penalty to leave his team trailing 7-6 at the end of a competitive first quarter.
A poor direct clearance from Stephen Varney then gave the visitors an attacking platform from which Williams extended his side’s lead with a simple penalty.
The Ospreys’ lineout was a cause for concern as they lost three on their own throw in the first 25 minutes and were made to pay when Blake completed a driving lineout.
Gloucester held on to secure victory and their place in the semi-final
Carreras missed the conversion on the touchline but slotted home his third penalty after Ospreys made it easy by losing 10 yards for a back-and-forth argument with the referee.
With the final kick of the half, Williams kicked his second penalty to leave Gloucester with a 14-13 advantage at the break.
After a restart, a poor kick from Walsh without pressure saw his side lose 50 yards, but flanker Harri Deaves won a crucial penalty at the breakdown to relieve the pressure.
Gloucester lost center Max Llewellyn to injury, but they overcame that to pick up the first points of the second half with another Carreras penalty.
An elusive breakaway from Luke Morgan earned the Welsh region a penalty, but Williams’ kick bounced off a post.
Williams was made to pay for his failure as Carreras was soon on track with his fifth as the Ospreys skipper continued to debate decisions with referee Pierre Brousset.
Brousset quickly signaled another penalty in favor of Gloucester, this time from a scrum, and once again Carreras made no mistake to send the hosts through to the semi-final.
Ad content | Stream Sky Sports NOW
Stream Sky Sports live contract-free with a 1-month or 1-day subscription NOW. Instant access to live action from the Premier League, EFL, F1, tennis, boxing and much more.
