Lamb shrugs off speculation

Ryan Lamb steered Gloucester into their first EDF Energy Cup final before hailing the impact of his fly-half rival Carlos Spencer.

Had Spencer not been cup-tied, it is debatable whether Lamb would have played any part in Gloucester's 17-0 victory over a star-studded Ospreys outfit. But his three penalties and a drop-goal ensured he will go to Twickenham for the first time with Gloucester since the 2007 Premiership final defeat against Leicester.

"I haven't played a lot of rugby lately, and it was great to be on the field in a big game and perform pretty well," said Lamb.

New Zealand superstar Spencer's arrival at Kingsholm, allied to the recent signing of Cardiff Blues number 10 Nicky Robinson, has sparked feverish speculation about where Lamb will be playing next season.

He still has a year of his existing Gloucester contract left, yet the 22-year-old has been linked with a possible move to France, while west country rivals Bath are thought to be among the Guinness Premiership clubs monitoring Lamb's situation.

"Everyone is asking a lot of questions about my future, but I am well focused on Gloucester," he added. "I think we are a side that is going places."

Meanwhile, for the Ospreys' sizeable Welsh international contingent, it was another trophy relinquished just seven days after the RBS 6 Nations title left their possession and passed into Irish hands.

And to compound the Ospreys' problems, Wales stars Gavin Henson (ankle) and Ian Gough (thigh) both failed to last the distance, with a fitness update on both players expected during the next 24 hours.

"I hate losing, probably more than the next person, but that is something you have to deal with," said Ospreys and Wales skipper Ryan Jones.

"We are a tight-knit bunch, and we will be honest and frank with each other when we come back in on Monday or Tuesday. We dominated territory and possession, but we lacked a certain composure at times. We've got to make sure lessons are learnt."