Edinburgh 20-21 Gloucester: Adam Hastings kicks visitors into knockouts

Scotland's Adam Hastings kicked 11 of Gloucester's points

Gloucester booked their place in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup by overcoming Edinburgh.

Glen Young's try put Edinburgh in front before Adam Hastings responded with a penalty.

A stunning Louis Rees-Zammit try and Hastings' boot turned things in Gloucester's favour after the break.

Tries by Ewan Ashman and Ben Vellacott regained the lead for the hosts but Zach Mercer's score and Hastings' conversion settled it at 21-20.

Edinburgh must now beat Scarlets on Friday to guarantee progression to the next round.

• Reaction & as it happened

The Hive was packed full and in fine voice, with a healthy contingent of travelling Gloucester supporters adding plenty to a terrific atmosphere.

The players responded by tearing into each other at a furious pace from the first whistle, and while the scoreboard remained untroubled for the opening 20 or so minutes, it was compelling all the same.

Edinburgh struck first when Gloucester - down to 14 with centre Seb Atkinson in the bin - were turned over deep in their own territory and the ball was shipped wide to Young. The lock-turned-blindside had enough pace to beat the cover defence and touch down in the corner.

With Gregor Townsend naming his Scotland squad this coming Tuesday, there was an intriguing sub-plot with the individual battle between the respective fly-halves, Ben Healy and Hastings. The latter got Gloucester on the board with a penalty just before half-time to make it a two-point game at the break.

Healy missed a chance to restore the home side's five-point advantage early in the second half, his penalty sliding just wide of the posts. Just moments later, Gloucester roared into the lead in the most sensational style.

Hastings sent the ball wide and it eventually landed in the arms of Rees-Zammit on halfway. He had men in support but they were not required, the Wales international scorching away from several Edinburgh defenders to run in a wondrous individual score.

The momentum was going back-and-forth like a ping-pong and Darcy Graham helped swing it back Edinburgh's way with a brilliant aerial take that led a few phases later to a penalty.

Healy banged it over to level things up at eight apiece, but Hastings responded in kind almost immediately to nudge the Premiership side back in front, and struck again from the tee a few moments later to give the visitors a little breathing room.

Edinburgh needed the next score and got it. With a very kickable penalty, the hosts elected to go instead for the corner and got their reward when Ashman peeled off the back of the lineout maul to blast his way over in the corner. Healy's touchline conversion just missed the target and Gloucester led by a point.

Bill Mata came up with a big turnover deep in Gloucester territory and although Mark Bennett was held up inches short of the line, substitute Vellacott dotted down to put Edinburgh 20-14 up.

Gloucester were not done yet. Stephen Varney cut through the heart of the Edinburgh defence from deep to take his side into the red zone. A few phases of pressure laid the platform for Mercer to power over.

Hastings' conversion sneaked over by the finest of margins and when the home crowd gave the Scotland fly-half a bit of stick, he responded with the time honoured 'shoosh' gesture, having kicked his side into a one-point lead they would not give up.

Gloucester go through with a game to spare, but Edinburgh still have work to do in Llanelli on Friday.

Edinburgh: Boffelli, Graham, Bennett, Currie, Goosen, Healy, Price, Schoeman, Cherry, Nel, Skinner, Gilchrist, Young, Watson, Mata.

Replacements: Williams for Price (63), Hislop for Nel (63), Ashman for Skinner (53), Lang for Young (69). Not Used: Sykes, Dodd, Vellacott, Paterson.

Gloucester: Rees-Zammit, May, Harris, S. Atkinson, Thorley, Hastings, Englefield, Ford-Robinson, Blake, Gotovtsev, Clarke, Alemanno, Clement, Ludlow, Mercer.

Replacements: Elrington for Clarke (59). Not Used: McGuigan, Balmain, Jordan, Ackermann, S. Varney, Llewellyn, Evans. Sin Bin: S. Atkinson (20).