David Humphreys delighted as Gloucester reach European Challenge Cup final

22 April 2017 10:56

David Humphreys praised his Gloucester players as they made it through to the European Challenge Cup final with a 16-14 victory over La Rochelle.

The French side, surprise leaders of the Top14, had not lost at home all season but the Cherry and Whites emerged victorious at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre thanks mainly to Billy Burns.

Fly-half Burns scored all of Gloucester's points, converting his own intercept try and kicking three penalties in what was a remarkable defensive effort by the visitors.

It left director of rugby Humphreys delighted as his team set up the chance to repeat their victories in this competition in 2006 and 2015.

Gloucester will face either Stade Francais or Aviva Premiership rivals Bath in the final at Murrayfield on May 12.

Former Ireland fly-half Humphreys said: "This victory is just reward for all the hard work that has gone into this season.

"The effort the players put in out there was unbelievable. We showed character and spirit against an unbelievably good team. I'm delighted for everyone at the club.

"So much of what we planned to do came off, particularly in the first 30 minutes, and we hung in there as the game went on. To defend the way we did against an unbelievably physical team was really pleasing and I'm thrilled to get back to another European final."

The two teams turned around level at 6-6, Burns and Brock James, who had a poor game, kicking two penalties apiece.

Both sides had a man yellow-carded, Jone Qovu sin-binned for dropping a shoulder on Willi Heinz and Gloucester's Tom Savage spending time in the cooler after he hit a ruck with no arms in the contact area.

Burns put Gloucester back ahead at the start of the second period with his third penalty, before he plucked James' floated pass from the air and sprinted in from 70 metres. The simple conversion was added.

La Rochelle refused to go away, but Qovu was lucky to avoid seeing red after punching Richard Hibbard.

Damien Lagrange eventually crossed the whitewash for the home side, but James could not convert and also missed further drop-goal and penalty efforts as his team went down to defeat.

The nature of Gloucester's ecstatic celebrations at full-time told the story of just how hard it was to get the win.

Humphreys said: "Talking to some of the players coming off the field it was one of the toughest games they've ever been involved in.

"I've said this season that it's about small margins and the players showed an unbelievable desire to win."

Source: PA