RICHARD Whiffin admitted that the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup being held at Kingsholm is a "huge carrot" for Gloucester after a hard-fought 43-20 victory over Ospreys.

Gloucester fielded a side of far greater experience on Friday night but were given a stern test before eventually romping to victory, with Richard Hibbard, Mark Atkinson, Callum Braley, Ollie Thorley, Henry Trinder, Ben Morgan and Matt Scott all touching down.

And the prospect of competing for a trophy in front of their home fans is proving to be a highly motivating factor for Gloucester.

Coach Whiffin said: "It's a huge carrot to go for and fortunately we can afford to put out strong sides in the competition as we have very few injuries.

"We found them a tough side to break down as we tried to play too much in the first half but we wanted to get back to our attacking DNA as we've got a bit stuck over the last four or five weeks."

Gloucester's win took them to the top of Pool One but they are under pressure from both Bath and Wasps, and they now face a difficult trip to Pool Four leaders Newcastle in the final round of fixtures next week.

Whiffin added: "The pool is not totally in our hands so we'll have to go up to Newcastle and try and get the win and score as many points as possible."

Ospreys' defeat put them out of the competition but their young side played with huge spirit with the final scoreline flattering the hosts.

Alex Jeffries and Reuben Morgan-Williams touched down shortly after the interval while Ifan Phillips scored a try in the closing stages - after Morgan Morris and Lloyd Ashley had been sent to the sin bin - with Luke Price adding a conversion and a penalty.