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Worcester's Kyle Hatherell in action against RC Toulon in Round 3
Worcester Warriors will be seeking to end a losing run when they travel to Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16.
Worcester have only won one of their last 15 away games against French teams in the competition (drawing one and losing 13), failing to score more than 10 points in three of the most recent five.
Lyon qualified for the Round of 16 by going unbeaten and topping Pool B, while Worcester finished fourth in Pool A.
The match at Matmut Stadium de Gerland kicks off at 20:00 local time on Friday and is available to watch on beIN SPORTS.
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4ïžâŁ fiery fixtures under the Friday night lights, who are you pumped to see in action? đ€©#ChallengeCupRugby Ro16 line-ups âĄïž https://t.co/IxwCvdW3CU pic.twitter.com/cNScL34pfK
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) April 14, 2022
Other key facts:
- Lyon have never met Worcester in European competition; Warriors will be the eighth different English side Lyon have faced in Europe, while Lyon will become the 15th TOP14 team the Warriors have faced.
- Lyon have won each of their previous five home games against teams from the Premiership in the EPCR Challenge Cup, by an average margin of 11 points.
- Lyon have won their last four games in the EPCR Challenge Cup. However, theyâve never won five in a row in the competition.
- Worcester won their last match in the EPCR Challenge Cup (v Zebre Parma), ending a run of five straight defeats in the competition. They will be aiming to win consecutive games in the Challenge Cup for the first time since 2018/19, when they won three in a row.
- Worcester have won 98% of their lineout throws in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season, the best success rate of any team, and are also one of two teams, along with Biarritz, to have won 100% of their scrums (10/10); Lyon are the only team to have won less than 80% of their throws this season (79%).
- Lyon have scored five tries from counterattacks in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season, two more than any other side, while Worcester are one of three teams sitting joint second on three counterattack tries (also Edinburgh and Biarritz).
- Jonathan Pelissie (Lyon) has assisted three tries in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season, the joint most of any player (also Henry Pyrgos, Baptiste Serin and Callum Braley).
- Four players have made five or more line breaks in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season: Lyonâs Clement Laporte (6), Leo Berdeu (5) and Ethan Dumortier (5) and Worcesterâs Duhanvander Merwe (5).
- Lyon duo Clement Laporte (359) and Davit Niniashvili (323) are the only players to have made more than 300 carry metres in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season.
Baptiste Couilloud dots down for Lyonâs opening try against Worcester Warriors
Lyon ultimately proved too strong for Worcester Warriors in their EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16 clash on Friday night as they claimed a 31-17 victory.
The hosts scored two tries in each half and were always able to keep Worcester at armsâ length in order to reach the quarter-finals.
When Worcesterâs Billy Searle converted his own try to reduce the deficit to 24-17 on 75 minutes, his side might have sensed an unlikely comeback.
All the tricks đȘ@LeLOURugby extend their lead through Romain Taofifenua after some nice hands in the build-up đȘ#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/HXDMGkTDGQ
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) April 15, 2022
But these hopes were shattered within a minute as Pierre-Louis Barassi went over and LĂ©o Berdeu added the extras, having previously landed a long-range penalty.
Lyon led 14-5 at the break, thanks to tries from Baptiste Couilloud and Romain Taofifénua, both converted by Lima Sopoaga.
Tom Howe had put Worcester ahead with a second-minute try and captain Ted Hillâs score made it 21-10, but the visitors could never regain parity.
Lyon saw Clement Laporte yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on just before half-time, but Vivien Devisme bagged their third try, converted by Sopoaga, while they were still down to 14 men.
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