The Lions survived a dramatic second-half fightback from Lyon to secure a hard-fought 42-33 victory in their EPCR Challenge Cup group stage encounter at Ellis Park on Saturday, with debutant Batho Hlekani earning player of the match honours.
The hosts started in blistering fashion, racing to a 21-7 lead within the opening 25 minutes. Finding space with ease and dominating all facets of play, the Lions appeared destined for a comfortable afternoon in the Highveld sunshine.
The home side’s physical dominance became increasingly apparent as the first half progressed. In the 37th minute, the Lions began to bully Lyon with consecutive forward carries, culminating in firecracker flanker Renzo du Plessis forcing his way over the line to extend the advantage to 28-7.
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However, Lyon had the final say before the interval. Alexandre Tchaptchet exploited space on the outside after successive pick-and-goes pulled in the Lions defence, touching down to reduce the deficit to 28-14 at halftime.
The French side emerged from the break with renewed vigour. Early in the second half, the imposing Iosefo Masi burst through the Lions defence following a scrum, beating four defenders before offloading to Esteban Gonzalez, who scored in the corner. Suddenly, at 28-19, the contest was alive.
The Lions responded swiftly in the 48th minute through Angelo Davids, who capitalised on Morne van den Bergh’s cheeky chip over the ruck to restore breathing space at 35-19. Yet Lyon refused to surrender. In the 54th minute, Mathis Sarragallet broke away from a powerful maul to claim the visitors’ bonus-point try, narrowing the gap to 35-26.
Concentration lapses allowed Lyon to remain within striking distance. In the 63rd minute, Quan Horn linked beautifully with the backline, slicing through the Lyon defence before being hauled down just short of the try line.
The penalty count mounted against the Lions in the final third, and Lyon capitalised. In the 75th minute, Paddy Jackson’s rugby intelligence shone through as his delicate chip over the defensive line found Alfred Parisien, who scored to make it 35-33. Remarkably, the French side were mounting a comeback despite the altitude.
With five minutes remaining and Lyon’s tails up, the Lions secured a crucial penalty. Chris Smith kicked for touch, and from the resulting lineout, the hosts mauled forward. Another penalty followed, and from five metres out, Morne Brandon powered over in the 79th minute to seal a 42-33 victory and break Lyon hearts.
