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Lyon travel to Salford to face Sale Sharks on Saturday at AJ Bell Stadium, where a victory would boost their hopes of qualifying out of Challenge Cup Pool 2. This will be the second meeting between the clubs with Lyon winning their clash in Round 2 this season by just three points (27-24).
· Sale have played 40 home games in their Challenge Cup history, failing to win just eight of those matches (D1, L7). Seven of those eight games were against French opposition.
· Lyon’s last eight Challenge Cup matches have all been won by the home side on the day (W4, L4).
· Sale have conceded just six tries this season so far, the joint fewest of any side in the competition (same as Edinburgh).
Sale Sharks leapt from fourth to second in Pool 2 of the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a 15-13 triumph over Lyon at Salford’s AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
- Andrei Ostrikov and Josh Beaumont scored the tries as the Premiership side claimed a crucial win to move within two points of Pool 2 leaders Cardiff Blues, who face Toulouse on Sunday with an opportunity to extend their advantage.
- Russian second row Ostrikov opened the scoring on 21 minutes, only for the visitors to steal the lead via two penalties from the boot of fly-half Lionel Beauxis, although they proved to be Lyon’s only points of the first half.
- In a much better second-half display Sale Sharks rose to fore with Will Cliff slotting home a penalty and replacement forward Beaumont crashed over a second score for the home side a minute later as they moved into a comfortable 15-6 lead.
- Sale could have closed the game out as they remained in the ascendency, but were forced to endure a tense closing 10 minutes as Virgile Lacombe, converted by Frederic Michalak, brought the visitors within two points of the Sharks.
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