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Kurt-Lee Arendse debuted in EPCR competitions with Vodacom Bulls last season
Vodacom Bulls look for their third win of the competition as they travel to Lyon in Round 4 of the Heineken Champions Cup.
They come in off the back of a 39-28 triumph over Exeter Chiefs in Round 3.
The French side are still without a victory in this campaign, and lost the reverse fixture last month 42-36.
The Pool A match kicks off at Matmut Stadium de Gerland at 8pm UK and Irish time, and can be watched on beIN SPORTS, SuperSport, BT Sport and FloRugby.
THE FINAL POOL STAGE ROUND đš
And the last chance to qualify…
Which #HeinekenChampionsCup R4 game will you be watching this weekend? pic.twitter.com/KALKTqE1qn
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 18, 2023
Lyon
- Tavite Veredamu has made more support carries than any other player (five).
- Lyon have conceded fewer turnovers at the ruck or maul than any other team (12). However, they’ve conceded the most interceptions.
- Lyon have scored as many tries as any other team between the 41st and 50th minute (three, equal with Stade Rochelais and Castres Olympique). Ten of their 12 tries so far have been scored between minutes 21 and 50.
Vodacom Bulls
- Wandisile Simelane (145) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (123) were both in the top three players for metres made in Round 3, with the former making more metres than any other player.
- Ruan Nortje did not miss a single tackle in Round 3, making 22.
- The Bulls have the highest rate of ball retention in the competition at ruck time (97 per cent).
- The Bulls have set up nine mauls – the fewest in the competition.
Guillaume Marchand crossed twice for Lyon in their Heineken Champions Cup victory over Vodacom Bulls
At a snowy Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Friday, Lyon produced a sensational performance to defeat a tired-looking Vodacom Bulls 31-7 and put themselves in contention to qualify from the Heineken Champions Cup Pool A.
Last yearâs EPCR Challenge Cup winners earned themselves a crucial bonus-point win, with two tries from Guillaume Marchand, a wonderful score by Jean-Marc Doussain and another by Leo Berdeu, who also kicked 11 points.
Vodacom Bulls, meanwhile, simply couldnât put together enough phases without making a mistake, their one breakaway try scored by Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Lyon set the tone early, with hooker Marchand going over on four minutes following a well-worked lineout maul.
Fly-half Berdeu kicked the conversion and followed that up with a penalty minutes later to give the home side a ten-point lead within ten minutes. The 24-year-old was perfect from the tee on the night and kicked conversions for all four Lyon tries.
Over the next 20 minutes it was predominantly Vodacom Bulls applying the pressure, but they were unable to avail themselves of their entries to Lyonâs 22.
While the French clubâs defence was solid and disciplined at the breakdown, the visiting sideâs penchant for errors was their undoing, as it was all game.
We're sure scrum halves shouldn't be this built đ
Incredible strength from @LeLOURugby 9ïžâŁ Jean-Marc Doussain to battle over the line with Bulls hanging off him đȘ#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/vrX3BWiPkn
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 20, 2023
On 36 minutes, it was Lyonâs turn to return to their opponentâs territory, moving up the field with a fast break. Their pressure culminated in a brilliant try from Doussain, the scrum-half going over after driving through a Vodacom Bulls defender in a brilliant piece of individual determination.
Lyon smelt blood just before the break and tightened the screw on Vodacom Bulls once more. With Simphiwe Matanzima in the sin bin, the victim of a number of Vodacom Bulls infringements, Marchand went over with for his second, Lyon’s pack once again dominating their South African counterparts.
Lyon were on top for the first moments of the second period, but when full-back Arendse intercepted a long pass, he went from one end of the pitch to the other to score Vodacom Bullsâ first points of the game.
Johan Goosen kicked the conversion, but that proved the South African outfitâs last points as they failed to build on their score, Lyon weathering an initial storm of pressure in the wake of Arendseâs try to come out on top.
Leo Berdeu spots a gap and he's gone đ©âš
Even has time to celebrate on the run in đđ#HeinekenChampionsCup | @LeLOURugby pic.twitter.com/hazTD5yXkm
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 20, 2023
The final points of the game came on 57 minutes when Lyon earned their crucial fourth try, Berdeu spotting a gap in the defensive line, powering through it and getting over to give his team the bonus point.
Lyon now must wait and see if they will qualify for the Round of 16, but they have done all they can with their bonus-point win.
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