By Duncan Bech, Press Association
Published: 16:46 BST, 25 May 2019 | Updated: 16:46 BST, 25 May 2019
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Nick Tompkins scored a hat-trick of tries as Saracens overwhelmed Gloucester 44-19 in their Gallagher Premiership semi-final at Allianz Park to storm to within one win of completing the double.
The European champions crushed the league's third strongest team in a six-try rout headlined by Tompkins to seal a fourth appearance in the Twickenham final in five years.
Tompkins replaced hamstring injury-victim Brad Barritt in the 32nd minute and helped himself to three second-half tries as Gloucester fell apart.
Saracens' Nick Tompkins celebrates scoring their fourth try in their win over Gloucester
Tompkins scored a hat-trick as Saracens moved towards the Premiership final
The rot had set in during the second quarter, however, when they repeatedly failed to deal with the precision of Saracens' kick-chase game while their own attacks fell apart through self-inflicted errors.
Sean Maitland, Ben Spencer and Liam Williams also touched down to heap embarrassment on an outclassed Gloucester, who gained some scoreboard respectability with a flurry when the game had already been lost.
The head-to-head between rival England fly-halves Owen Farrell and Danny Cipriani never came to life due to Saracens' dominance in all areas and Eddie Jones, who was watching from the stands, saw nothing he did not already know.
Two tries in