Woodward shines as Gloucester make final

THE Cherry and Whites will hope to blossom in Bilbao, having beaten Newcastle to reach the Challenge Cup final.

Jason Woodward, the Gloucester full back, starred as the Falcons were shot down at Kingsholm.

He fed Tom Marshall for a superb score, Motu Matu’u, Billy Burns and Ben Vellacott also scored and Billy Twelvetrees kicked the rest on a balmy West Country night.

It means Gloucester will play in their third Challenge Cup final in four years. If they win it in May and seal the third title in their history they will be the jointmost successful club in the second-tier competition.

Gloucester led 15-5 at the break after Woodward’s wizardry sent Marshall clear, Twelvetrees hit a penalty and Matu’u rumbled over from close range.

Scott Lawson had opened the scoring from the back of a rolling maul, but although he repeated that act in the 53rd minute the game already looked up for Newcastle.

Twelvetrees then hit two more penalties and when Vellacott powered through a hole to score, Gloucester knew they were 80 minutes from basking in Bilbao glory.

There they will face either Cardiff Blues or Pau, who play in the other semi-final today.