Toulon To Play Lyon In European Challenge Cup Final

Lyon, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2022 ) :France winger Gabin Villiere scored a brace of tries Saturday to help Toulon ease past Saracens 25-16 and line up a European Challenge Cup final against Top 14 rivals Lyon.

Lyon clung on to edge English Premiership club Wasps 20-18 in the opening semi-final.

The two French sides will now meet in the final in Marseille on May 27.

Villiere scored his tries in the first-half to help Toulon to a 15-13 lead after the first period, Ben Earl having crossed for Saracens.

England fly-half Owen Farrell kicked the conversion and three penalties, but Louis Carbonel was on target with two of his own.

Carbonel also notched up two conversions, including one for the decisive second-half try by Fijian winger Jiuta Wainiqolo.

Earlier in the day, Lyon had trailed 8-3 at halftime but tries from Leo Berdeu and Yanis Charcosset saw them bounce back to squeeze through to the final.

"We haven't won anything," said Lyon veteran Jean-Marc Doussain at the end. "We're happy but we gave ourselves a scare.

"Everyone will say that it's historic for the club but people remember the winner. There is work to do." Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson put the first points on the board after 23 minutes at the Stade Gerland when he took off down the blind side to touch down.

Veteran New Zealander Jimmy Gopperth, who is leaving Wasps to join Leicester next season, missed the conversion but popped over a penalty to give the English side an 8-0 lead.

Lyon fly-half Berdeu pulled back a penalty for the home side before half-time and eight minutes after the break put Lyon into the lead.

Berdeu took a quick throw in his own half, New Zealand centre Charlie Ngatai made the break in midfield and from the ensuing ruck, Berdeu darted through the gap to score.

He added the conversion but Gopperth knocked over a penalty to restore the Wasps lead.

It was short-lived, however, as replacement hooker Charcosset scored Lyon's second try. Berdeu converted and then added a penalty to make the score 20-11.

Wasps had a Dan Frost try disallowed for a knock-on but kept pressing the Lyon line and were rewarded with six minutes remaining when Gopperth bundled over from a line-out.

The 38-year-old converted his try to reduce the gap to two points but Lyon clung on to book their place in the final.

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