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Glasgow celebrate their win over Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup pool stage
Lyon and Glasgow Warriors meet for the first time in the EPCR Challenge Cup as they go head-to-head in the quarter-finals at Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Saturday.
The two sides have clashed before in the Heineken Champions Cup, with Glasgow emerging victorious on both occasions in the 2018/19 pool stage.
The game kicks off at 20:00 (UK & Irish time) and will be available to watch on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS.
Other key facts:
- This will be Lyon’s first appearance in the quarter-finals of a European competition.
- The TOP 14 outfit have won each of their home games in the EPCR Challenge Cup this campaign, conceding 17 points or fewer on each occasion.
- Glasgow, meanwhile, have won four of their last five matches against TOP 14 opposition in the EPCR Challenge Cup. However, their sole defeat during that period came away from home (26-21 v Montpellier Hérault Rugby in last season’s Round of 16).
- Lyon have won just one of their previous four games against Scottish opposition in European competition; however, their sole win during that period came at home (21-19 v Edinburgh Rugby in January 2015).
- This will be Glasgow’s fourth match at the quarter-final stage of either European competition; they have lost all three of their previous such fixtures, facing Saracens in each of those games.
- No side has made more carries in this season’s EPCR Challenge Cup than Lyon (605); consequently, they have also made more carry metres than any other team in the competition this season (4,093m).
- Lyon have made more offloads (75), line breaks (36), and beaten more defenders (135) than any other side in this season’s EPCR Challenge Cup.
- Glasgow have recorded the fastest average ruck speed of any side in this season’s EPCR Challenge Cup (2.5 seconds); additionally, only four teams have slowed down their opponents’ rucks to a greater extent than Glasgow this season (4.2 seconds).
- Lyon’s Clement Laporte (441) has made the most carry metres in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season, while teammate Davit Niniashvili has made the fourth most (323); Laporte has also made the joint-most line-breaks this season, alongside teammate Ethan Dumortier (6 each).
- Kyle Steyn beat 14 defenders in Glasgow’s Round of 16 tie against Newcastle Falcons, the most any player has managed in a single EPCR Challenge Cup match since George Furbank beat 16 for Northampton Saints against Timisoara Saracens in January 2019.
Just 8️⃣ teams left…
Watch every #ChallengeCupRugby QF live on @btsportrugby and @beinsports_FR & @RCTofficiel v @londonirish also on @francetvsport 📺Game of the round? 👀 pic.twitter.com/Xa7yPWYaHq
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 2, 2022
Key quote:
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow prop): “It will probably be won or lost up front. If we can match them physically as a pack, then we should come out on top because we’ve got the firepower in our backs to score tries.”
Lyon wing Davit Niniashvili has been chosen in the EPCR Challenge Cup Team of the Season
Wing Davit Niniashvili scored a try brace as Lyon came back from 14 points down to beat Glasgow Warriors 35-27 at Matmut Stadium de Gerland on Saturday, setting up a home EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final against Wasps.
Baptiste Couilloud and Romain Taofifenua also crossed for the TOP 14 side, with Leo Berdeu kicking 13 points.
Glasgow led 27-13 early in the second half after scores from Josh McKay and Cole Forbes, in addition to a penalty try and two Ross Thompson penalties, but were overpowered in the latter stages of the game.
Lyon went ahead with less than two minutes played through a penalty from fly-half Berdeu, but Glasgow hit back as wing McKay gathered his own kick and dotted down against the run of play in the opening exchanges.
A second Berdeu penalty narrowed the gap to one point on 12 minutes, but Glasgow gained a foothold and enjoyed an extended stay in the Lyon 22m, eventually opting to take three points through fly-half Thompson.
Another penalty from Thompson came four minutes later before Lyon had a try ruled out for a neck roll in the build-up.
The hosts eventually notched a try as scrum-half Couilloud sneaked over following a quickly-taken penalty on 35 minutes, but Glasgow had the final say of the half as wing Forbes dived over in the corner.
Razzle dazzle, @GlasgowWarriors! ✨
Cole Forbes dots down to round off a sumptuous move in Lyon.#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/EUJyLPWJq6
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) May 7, 2022
Glasgow started the second half excellently and were rewarded for their pressure on the Lyon line with a penalty try after a maul was illegally collapsed, Berdeu sent to the sin bin in a double blow for the hosts.
But Lyon sought an immediate response and when a maul of their own was brought down, Glasgow prop Jamie Bhatti was yellow carded, making it 14 against 14 for a seven-minute period.
And it was in that spell Lyon found their second try of the game as lock Romain Taofifenua battered his way over from close range.
With both sides back up to 15 men, Lyon grabbed another score as they punished Glasgow for a poor kick chase, centre Pierre-Louis Barassi drawing his man and sending teenager Niniashvili over in the corner.
The hosts then completed their remarkable fightback on 70 minutes as Berdeu slotted his third penalty of the game, nudging his team into a 28-27 lead.
Niniashvili then sealed Lyon’s victory as he gathered a chip over the top and dotted down for his second try of the evening on 75 minutes.
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