European Challenge Cup: Gloucester 31-21 Northampton - Dan Biggar sent off as Saints bow out

Twice winners Gloucester scored four tries on their way to the last eightRex Features

Twice winners Gloucester scored four tries on their way to the last eight

European Challenge Cup

Gloucester (21) 31

Tries: Thorley, Rapava-Ruskin, Alemanno Cons: Hastings 4 Pens: Hastings

Northampton (14) 21

Tries: Augustus, Hutchinson, Haywood Cons: Biggar 2, Furbank

Northampton had Dan Biggar sent off and his injured British & Irish Lions team-mate Courtney Lawes taken off as they were beaten by Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup at Kingsholm.

In a meeting of two sides who have both won this competition twice, Gloucester scored four tries to Saints' three to book a place in the quarter-finals.

But Saints were hit by a 15th-minute hand injury to England lock Lawes.

They then lost Biggar on 52 minutes for a challenge on Scotland's Chris Harris.

He was red carded for a shoulder to head challenge on the home centre, another of his Lions team-mates last summer.

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Northampton's England and Lions lock Courtney Lawes went off with a 15th-minute hand injury

Gloucester raced into a 21-0 lead inside the first 24 minutes with converted tries from wing Ollie Thorley, prop Val Rapava-Ruskin and lock Matias Alemanno.

But Juarno Augustus got one back on 33 minutes before Rory Hutchinson intercepted to go under the posts a minute before the break to make it 21-14.

Santiago Socino's early second-half try, and a fourth conversion for Adam Hastings was followed by a further three-pointer from the Gloucester and Scotland 10 to stretch the Cherry and Whites' lead to 31-14.

But. although Mike Haywood went over for a late converted try and Gloucester had Scotland lock Alex Craig sent off in the last minute, there was no way back for Saints.

The quarter-final line-up

Gloucester, winners in 2006 and 2015, join two other English sides, Wasps and London Irish, in the last eight, along with two Scottish sides, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and two French sides, three-times former European champions Toulon and Lyon.

The final place will be determined on Easter Sunday when Saracens, another team to have won European rugby's main prize three times, host Cardiff (13:00 BST). The winners of that will play Gloucester.

Quarter-finals (to be played 6/7/8 May): Lyon v Glasgow, Edinburgh v Wasps, Toulon v London Irish, Gloucester v Saracens or Cardiff.

Gloucester: Carreras; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Atkinson, Thorley; Hastings, Chapman; Rapava-Ruskin, Socino, Balmain, Clarke, Alemanno, Reid, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann.

Replacements: Singleton, Elrington, Ford-Robinson, Craig, Morgan, Meehan, Twelvetrees, Seabrook.

Sent off: Craig (79)

Northampton: Furbank; Freeman, Proctor, Hutchinson, Collins; Biggar, Mitchell; Waller, S Matavesi, Hill, Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Haywood, Hobbs-Awoyemi, Carey, Coles, Harrison, James, Francis, Nansen.

Sent off: Biggar (52).

Referee: Sam Grove-White.

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