Cardiff impress in France
CHAMPIONS CUP REPORT: The 2018 Challenge Cup winners Cardiff Blues continued their superb form on the road as they defeated Champions Cup debutants Lyon 30-21 at Matmut Stadium de Gerland.
Lyon No.8 Loann Goujon scored the first try of the afternoon after a scrum inside the Cardiff 22 gave him the chance to nip round the blindside and power past the sole Cardiff defender to dot down. TMO was called in to have a look at a possible knock-on but the call stood.
Cardiff found themselves under the pump early on and were eventually penalised for not rolling away, giving Lionel Beauxis the opportunity to extend the advantage and he duly obliged.
The Welsh region then hit back with two tries in quick succession after they turned the ball over initially, but won it back and found Olly Robinson who dived over.
A superb interception from captain Ellis Jenkins just seconds later allowed scrumhalf Tomos Williams to collect the pass and turn inside and out before dotting down in the corner.
Lyon then won successive penalties in kicking range for the 32-year-old Beauxis who gave Lyon a narrow lead at the interval.
The French side were penalised at the start of the second half, allowing Gareth Anscombe – who helped Cardiff clinch Challenge Cup success in May with a crucial late kick – to boot over twice and give the Welsh region a four-point lead.
Taking the ball from inside his own half, Anscombe then found a hole in the Lyon line before bolting clear. With two Cardiff players wide, he sold the dummy to the Lyon defence and dived over himself for a stunning try that he went on to convert himself.
Quentin Delord reduced the arrears with a late try to set up a grandstand finish but were denied a losing bonus point when Anscombe – who was named Man of the Match – kicked a late penalty after a Jenkins turnover.
Lyon face a daunting task in Round Two as they travel to Saracens while the Welsh region host Glasgow Warriors at Cardiff Arms Park.
The scorers:
For Lyon:
Tries: Goujon, Delord
Con: Beauxis
Pens: Beauxis 3
For Cardiff Blues:
Tries: Robinson, T Williams, Anscombe
Cons: Anscombe 3
Pens: Anscombe 3
Teams:
Lyon: 15 Charlie Ngatai, 14 Toby Arnold, 13 Rudi Wulf, 12 Thibaut Regard, 11 Noa Nakaitaci, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Jean-Marc Doussain, 8 Loann Goujon, 7 Patrick Sobela, 6 Julien Puricelli (captain), 5 Hendrik Roodt, 4 Felix Lambey, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Mickael Ivaldi, 1 Alexandre Menini.
Replacements: 16 Jeremie Maurouard, 17 Raphael Chaume, 18 Clément Ric, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Carl Fearns, 21 Dylan Cretin, 22 Quentin Delord, 23 Pierre-Louis Barassi.
Cardiff Blues: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Garyn Smith, 12 Willis Halaholo, 11 Jason Harries, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Josh Navidi, 7 Ellis Jenkins, 6 Olly Robinson, 5 Josh Turnbull, 4 Macauley Cook, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Rhys Gill.
Replacements: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Brad Thyer, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 Samu Manoa, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 Rey Lee-Lo, 23 Aled Summerhill.
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Ian Tempest (England), Wayne Falla (England)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
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