In a surprising turn of events in the Challenge Cup, Lyon Rugby (LOU) suffered a significant defeat to the Dragons, marking the Welsh side’s first victory in over a year. This loss comes after LOU’s home defeat to Newcastle last weekend, raising concerns about their performance in the competition. The match took place at Rodney Parade, where the Dragons, buoyed by their home crowd, managed to secure a narrow 23-21 victory.
Dragons Break Winless Streak Against Lyon
The Dragons opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a penalty from Angus O’Brien. However, the momentum shifted when Jared Rosser received a yellow card midway through the first half, reducing the Dragons to fourteen men. Lyon capitalized on this numerical advantage, with Janse Roux scoring a try just before Rosser’s return, and Charlie Cassang’s conversion giving LOU a one-point lead at halftime.
Lyon extended their lead early in the second half, with Arthur Mathiron scoring a try just three minutes in. The Dragons faced another setback when Tinus de Beer received a yellow card, and Ave Maalo scored for LOU, giving them a commanding fifteen-point lead. However, the match took a dramatic turn in the final minutes. Harrison Keddie scored a try for the Dragons, and a yellow card for Josiah Maraku of LOU allowed the Welsh side to close the gap. Oli Burrows scored another try, followed by a second from Harrison Keddie, leveling the score. Angus O’Brien’s crucial conversion just before the siren secured a 23-21 victory for the Dragons, igniting celebrations at Rodney Parade.
This second consecutive defeat places Lyon in fifth position in Pool 2, which is currently dominated by Benetton Treviso and Newcastle.
Racing 92 Secures Dramatic Draw Against Exeter
In another thrilling encounter, Racing 92 battled to a 31-31 draw against the Exeter Chiefs at Stade Dominique-Duvauchelle. After a defeat to Ulster last weekend, Patrice Collazo’s side faced another challenging match. Racing 92 started strong with a try from Kleo Labarbe in the 8th minute. However, Exeter responded with tries from Martin Moloney and Kane James, taking the lead. Despite a try from Selestino Ravutaumada, Exeter went into halftime with a sixteen-point advantage, thanks to scores from Lewis Pearson and Rus Tuima.
The second half saw a resurgence from Racing 92. A yellow card for Rus Tuima of Exeter allowed Romain Taofifenua to score, reducing the deficit to seven points. Ben Coen added three points for the Chiefs, but another yellow card for Greg Fisilau meant Exeter finished the match with fourteen players. Nolann Donguy scored for Racing 92, but Geronimo Priscantelli missed the conversion. In a dramatic finish, Antoine Latrasse scored a fifth try for Racing 92 two minutes after the siren, and Geronimo Priscantelli’s conversion secured a 31-31 draw. With this draw and a bonus point, Racing 92 sits in fifth place in Pool 3, led by Stade Français ahead of Exeter.
