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Gloucester Rugby winger Jonny May attempts to break free from a tackle in the Heineken Champions Cup
Gloucester Rugby will be looking to avenge their crushing 55-10 defeat by Lyon in last season’s Heineken Champions Cup when they meet in the EPCR Challenge Cup for the first time on Friday night at the same venue, the Matmut Stadium de Gerland.
The Pool B encounter, which kicks off at 20:00 UK and Irish time, will be televised live on FR4, beIN SPORTS and BT Sport.
Other key facts:
- Lyon are participating in the Challenge Cup for the first time since 2017/18. They have won nine of their 12 home games in the competition but did suffer defeat in their most recent such game (18-21 v Cardiff).
- Gloucester have won 29 of their last 32 pool stage games in the Challenge Cup. Although they lost their most recent match at this stage of the competition (v Section Paloise), they haven’t lost consecutive such matches since 1996/97.
- Gloucester won 13/13 scrums on their own feed during last season’s Heineken Champions Cup, one of just five teams to record a 100% scrum success rate in the competition in 2020/21, along with Bath, Edinburgh, Harlequins and Toulouse.
- Lyon made 29 offloads in their two Heineken Champions Cup games last season, an average of 14.5 per game – more than any other club in the competition.
Lyon centre Pierre-Louis Barassi makes a break
Scrum-half Jean-Marc Doussain kicked 11 points as Lyon beat Gloucester Rugby 19-13 in the EPCR Challenge Cup at Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Friday night.
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.
Check out the highlights from a heavyweight #ChallengeCupRugby battle at Matmut Stadium between @gloucesterrugby & @lelourugby 💪 pic.twitter.com/j5i6KomkC9
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) December 10, 2021
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 Rugby entertaining Benetton Rugby.
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