Match Centre: Challenge Cup: Gloucester 35-5 Castres

Gloucester 35-5 Castres, Pool 4, Kingsholm

Adam Hastings racked up 15 points as Gloucester defeated Castres 35-5 to secure a home round of of 16 clash in the ongoing European Challenge Cup at Kingsholm on Friday.

The result meant Gloucester finish the group stage with 17 points following wins in all their four matches while Castres have 10 points from four games and will depend on the result of the game between Black Lion and Clermont.

Gloucester made a promising start to the game as Hastings pressed forward and sent a perfect load for Seb Atkinson to dive in the corner for the opening try and the fly-half kicked a conversion and a penalty goal to take them to a 10-0 lead by the 24th minute.

Despite Gloucester having all the possession and territory in the opening half, Castres pulled the score back with a try of their own in the 37th minute which remained their only points in the game. Pierre Popelin missed out on the conversion as the teams completed the opening half with a 10-5 scoreline.

Gloucester were the quickest to get off the block in the second half as lock Freddie Clark sent a chip over the defence of Castres and collected it on his way over and Hastings followed up with a conversion and a penalty goal to make it 20-5.

Hastings continued his impressive run as they seized on a spill from Caolan Englefield to complete their third try and shortly Castres' Esteban Talalua was sin-binned in the 68th minute. Any chance of a comeback for the visitors was put off as Albert Tuisue crossed the whitewash in the 71st minute and Santiago Carreras, who took over the kicking duty completed a convincing win for the Cherry and Whites with the final penalty goal.