Gloucester make three changes to the side that won their European Challenge Cup semi-final at La Rochelle as they face Stade Francais in Friday’s final.

Centre Matt Scott, wing Charlie Sharples and back row Lewis Ludlow come in for Henry Trinder, David Halaifonua and Jacob Rowan respectively.

But they change six from Saturday’s loss to Exeter in their final Premiership game of the season.

Victory would see the Cherry and Whites lift the trophy for the third time.

Success at Murrayfield would also keep Gloucester’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions Cup alive, after their ninth-placed finish in the Premiership ruled out automatic qualification.

An English winner of the Challenge Cup would go forward to May’s Champions Cup play-offs instead of the side seventh in the league, Northampton Saints.

Scotland and Gloucester captain Greig Laidlaw is among the replacements, for what could be his final game for the club before joining French Top 14 side Clermont Auvergne this summer.

Stade Francais beat Bath in the semi-finals thanks to Jules Plisson’s last-minute drop-goal, and will be playing in their third Challenge Cup final since 2011.

Gloucester have been victorious in both their previous final appearances, in 2006 and 2015, while the French side are yet to lift the trophy.

Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys said:

“Everybody knows how important this game is for the club. We have the opportunity still to get Gloucester back into the Champions Cup.

“That’s been the motivation since the start of the year.

“We need to make sure we cut out some of the mistakes that have plagued us earlier in the season.

“You have got to look forward to a cup final. This is our opportunity to finish the season on a high.”

Venue: Murrayfield Date: Friday, 12 May Kick-off: 20:00 BST/21:00 SAST

Gloucester: Marshall; Sharples, Scott, Atkinson, May; Burns, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Hibbard, Afoa; Savage, Thrush; Moriarty, Ludlow, Morgan.

Replacements: Dawidiuk, Thomas, McAllister, Galarza, Clarke, Laidlaw, Twelvetrees, Trinder.

Stade Francais: Bonneval; Vuidarvuwalu, Doumayrou, Danty, Camara; Plisson, Genia; Van der Merwe, Bonfils, Slimani, Pyle, Gabrillagues, Burban, Ross, Parisse (capt).

Replacements: Panis, Zhvania, Alo Emile, Alberts, Lakafia, Dupuy, Steyn, Sinzelle.

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland).

Champions Cup

Saracens v Clermont Auvergne

Venue: Murrayfield Date: 13 May Kick-off: 17:00 BST/18:00 SAST

What do you call a Welshman in a World Cup or European Champions Cup final? The referee.

An old joke maybe but one that has been pertinent throughout the career of Nigel Owens, regarded by many as the world’s finest official.

And it will be the same on Saturday when Owens takes charge of the Champions Cup final between Clermont Auvergne and Saracens at Murrayfield.

The final will also be the 100th game in the tournament that the 2015 World Cup final referee has taken charge of.

“I am really proud,” said Owens.

“The European final is the biggest club game in the northern hemisphere if not the world game.

“I am as excited now doing the sixth one as I was doing the first one. That is why I am still refereeing because I still get that buzz.

“Without blowing my own trumpet, which is the last thing I like to do, there is not much more to achieve because I have done everything in rugby refereeing apart from the Calcutta Cup.

“I am not refereeing because I want any milestones or records or this being my 100th game. But when those do come along and the 100th game happens to fall on the final as well, it adds something more special to it as well.

“The final is for the two teams, for Saracens and Clermont, but to play a little small part in that is something I am proud of.”

Owens, 45, says he aims to carry on towards the age of 50.

“My love is the only thing that keeps me going and I am only going to get that if I am performing at my best,” he said.

“The only reason my form will go permanently is when my fitness goes so it’s down to the body really. The body is good at the moment and I am as fit as I have ever been.

“I hope to keep that going and I am looking at the end of the 2019-20 season where I will be nearly 49.

“That will be probably be it then. It might be before then but that’s the plan at the moment.”

Another World Cup final?

The draw for the 2019 World Cup was made in Kyoto on Wednesday, with Wales being pulled out of the hat alongside Australia, Georgia and two qualifiers that could be Fiji and Canada.

Owens was the Welshman involved in the 2015 final when he took charge of New Zealand’s victory over Australia at Twickenham. But he does not envisage being in charge of such a showpiece event again.

“The World Cup final is the pinnacle,” said Owens.

“I think if there are other referees who are performing well enough to referee a World Cup final and have not done it before then they should do it before anyone who does it a second time.

“If you are the only one who is capable of doing it then maybe, but there are three or four other referees at the minute who are more than capable of doing a final.

“If they are showing that form in 2019, and their countries are not [in the final], then they should do it.

“But as I said in the build-up to the 2015 tournament, I would be more than happy and rather be sitting in the stand watching and supporting my country in the World Cup final than have the decision of me refereeing it or not.”

bbc