Lyon finally end hunt for European silverware

Lyon claimed their first European silverware by defeating Toulon in the Challenge Cup final and no one would have been more relieved than Davit Niniashvili. The Georgian winger needlessly put his foot on the deadball line in the process of grounding the ball and at that stage the final was in the balance at 10-7 just before half-time.

Fortunately his mistake did not prove critical as two tries in two second half minutes – the first a penalty try, the second finished by Pierrelouis Barassi – secured the result.

The presence of Joel Kpoku in the Lyon ranks ensured there would be at least one English European champion this season but no doubt the watching Eddie Jones would have been casting an envious eye over the ridiculous depth France possess at scrum-half. Baptiste Serin was decent for Toulon but Baptiste Couilloud, who is somewhere between third and fourth choice for Les Bleus, was outstanding for Lyon. So too, despite his blunder, was Niniashvili.

Couilloud had an early try disallowed for a knock-on but Lyon were gifted the opening score. Sergio Parisse, the great Italian No8, spotted an overlap but at 38 his reactions are not what they once were and his pass was picked off by opposite number Jordan Taufua. Like any good scrum-half, Couilloud stayed on his shoulder to gather the offload and Leo Berdeu converted.

In Toulon’s first real attacking penetration of the Lyon 22, they drew level. Charles Ollivon, the French flanker and Toulon captain, carryied two defenders on his way to the try line, allowing his halfback, Serin, to snipe over.

Berdeu nudged Lyon ahead with a penalty but they should have felt mightily aggrieved not to have built a bigger lead. First English referee Luke Pearce decided not to have a second look at Charlie Ngatai’s potential grounding to the television match official. Then Couilloud led Parisse on a merry dance before slowing down expertly to feed Niniashvili, who needlessly dragged his foot on the chalk of the deadball line under no pressure. This time the TMO ruled the score out.

Finally the officials came down in favour of Lyon and there could not be a clearer-cut penalty try than when Toulon full-back Aymeric Luc slapped down what would have been a try-scoring pass from Toby Arnold to Niniashvili. Now Lyon had their tails up and they scored their third try as Berdeu’s grubber was gathered by Barassi for an outstanding try. Both Berdeu and Ngatai added penalties for Lyon, and while Cheslin Kolbe did score late on, it proved to be a mere consolation.