Lyon and Falcons off to winning starts

CHALLENGE CUP WRAP: French club Lyon and Premiership outfit Newcastle Falcons got their European season off to winning starts.

Lyon beat Gloucester 19-13 in Lyon and the Falcons overcame Worcester Warriors 31-26 at Kingston Park.

Friday scorers and scorers!

Lyon 19-13 Gloucester

Scrumhalf Jean-Marc Doussain kicked 11 points as Lyon beat Gloucester 19-13 in the EPCR Challenge Cup at Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Friday.

Doussain nudged two first-half penalties as Lyon led the Pool B opener 6-3 at half-time – Gloucester responding with a three-pointer from Billy Twelvetrees.

Lyon No.8 Jordan Taufua notched the first try of the game on 46 minutes and Doussain was on hand to add the extras before slotting another penalty, but Gloucester hit back through substitute Cameron Jordan on 61 minutes.

Twelvetrees converted that score having kicked another penalty earlier in the second half as Gloucester moved to within three points of the hosts.

However, Jonathan Pelisse came off the bench to nail a penalty for Lyon on 70 minutes and Gloucester were unable to recover.

Both teams are in action in Round 2 next Friday, with Lyon travelling to Dragons and Gloucester entertaining Benetton.

The scorers

For Lyon
Try: Taufua
Con: Doussain
Pens: Doussain 3, Pélissié

For Gloucester
Try: Jordan
Con: Twelvetrees
Pens: Twelvetrees 2

Newcastle Falcons 31-26 Worcester Warriors

Newcastle Falcons triumphed 31-26 in a gripping clash with Worcester Warriors at Kingston Park as the EPCR Challenge Cup got underway on Friday.

Newcastle scored inside 60 seconds in the Pool A encounter as Max Wright went over but were pegged back through a penalty try before Duhan van der Merwe put Worcester ahead.

Mike Brown crossed on 23 minutes to draw Newcastle level, but Harri Doel dotted down six minutes later to restore Worcester’s advantage.

A try from Newcastle hooker George McGuigan in the closing moments of the first half saw the two sides go into the break locked at 21-21, and the hosts then took the lead thanks to Ollie Lindsay-Haugue’s effort shortly after play resumed.

Worcester hit back once again through Will Chudley but Billy Searle was off target with the conversion, leaving Newcastle with a two-point lead heading into the closing stages.

A Joel Hodgson penalty on 76 minutes would cap the hosts’ victory as they held on to record a hard-fought victory.

Falcons don’t feature again in the EPCR Challenge Cup until they visit Biarritz Olympique on January 24, while Worcester hosts the TOP 14 outfit in Round 2 next weekend.

The scorers

For Newcastle Falcons
Tries: Wright, Brown, McGuigan, Lindsay-Hague
Cons: Haydon-Wood 4
Pen: Hodgson

For Worcester Warriors
Tries: Van der Merwe, Doel, Chudley, Penalty try
Cons: Searle 2, penalty try does not require a conversion

Yellow card: William Welch (Newcastle Falcons, 6)

Source: @ChallengeCup_