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Cardiff Blues travel to the Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Saturday to face Lyon in European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 2 knowing their place in the quarter-finals is already secure. - 19/01/2018 11:08
Cardiff Blues travel to the Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Saturday to face Lyon in European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 2 knowing their place in the quarter-finals is already secure.
- The Welsh Pro14 region enter Round 6 with a six-point advantage over second-placed Sale Sharks, with Lyon one point below the Aviva Premiership club on 10 points.
- Cardiff Blues 29-19 victory over Lyon back in October was the first meeting between the clubs in Europe and the Welsh club can chalk up on a fifth win from six games in France.
- George Earle, Tomos Williams, Macauley Cook and Rey Lee-Lo all scored for Cardiff Blues when the sides met at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, but the hosts were forced to defend a late rally from Lyon, who scored all their 19 points in a second-half fightback.
- Lyon's pack have won more line-outs than any other team in Pool 2, clinching 69, while indiscipline has been an issue for Cardiff Blues, with three yellow cards so far, the most in the group.
Cardiff Blues ended a successful Challenge Cup Pool 2 campaign with five wins from six and knocked Lyon out of the competition in the process. - 20/01/2018 19:02
Cardiff Blues ended a successful Challenge Cup Pool 2 campaign with five wins from six and knocked Lyon out of the competition in the process.
- The evening started dreadfully for Blues with Dylan Cretin scoring a try after just 24 seconds for Lyon, then centre Pierre-Louis Barassi capitalising on a fumble by Alex Cuthbert on 22 minutes.
- After turning down kickable penalties four times, Cardiff finally broke through right at the end of the first half, with Jarrod Evans' line break polished off by Lloyd Williams for a converted try.
- From 12-7 down at half time, Blues quickly led via a penalty try as Lyon brought down the maul illegally on their own line.
- Evans was sin-binned on 52 minutes with Lionel Beauxis slotting the resulting penalty to put Lyon 15-14 up. But Lyon's Pierre-Louis Barassi then departed for 10 minutes for taking Cuthbert out in the air.
- A 43-metre Beauxis penalty gave the Frenchmen an 18-14 lead but Cardiff then struck a crucial blow as Evans set up the third try with a burst through to set up replacement scrum-half Tomos Williams, before adding the conversion.
- The last 11 minutes saw Lyon pound the Cardiff defence without reward.
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