Gloucester Rugby vs Benetton Treviso Prediction & Betting Tips - Challenge Cup

Prediction published on 03/05/2024, 05:45  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 03/05/2024 at 06:45 in Challenge Cup Predictions

Gloucester host Benetton in the semi-finals of the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The winners will take on either Sharks or Clermont in the final on May 24. The home side have won this competition on two previous occasions, the last being nine years ago. Two other finals have been reached by the English Premiership club. Those were in 2017 and 2018 so they'll be keen to get to a fifth final this season. Gloucester are ninth of the ten teams in the English Premiership and have lost their last three games in that league. It's gone much better in European competition though and they topped Pool 3 by a couple of points from Clermont, who they could meet in the final. Gloucester won all four of their pool games including home victories over Clermont and Castres. That saw them seeded second behind Sharks in the knockout stages. Home wins over Castres and Ospreys have taken them into this semi-final.

Benetton are eighth in the United Rugby Championship, the final place that takes a side into the play-offs. They are seeded fourth in the knockout stages of this season's European Rugby Challenge Cup. The French side won Pool 2, winning three of their four matches. Their one loss was in their very first match as they were beaten away at Ospreys (who lost to Gloucester in the last 16). They recovered to get wins over Perpignan, away at Newcastle Falcons (who have lost every one of their matches in the English Premiership this season) and Montpellier. In the knockout stages, Benetton have had victories at home to Lions and Connacht. Their last three away games in the United Rugby Championship have all been lost. We tip Gloucester to win this semi-final.