Cardiff twice surrender lead in Lyon loss

Lyon's win completed a hat-trick of French wins over Welsh opposition in round one

European Challenge Cup: Pool 1

Lyon (17) 37

Tries: Dumortier 2, Parisien, Charcosset, Gonzalez Cons: Meliande 3 Pens: Meliande, Gonzalez

Cardiff (14) 26

Tries: Adams, Southworth, Bevan, Hamer-Webb Cons: De Beer 2, Sheedy

Cardiff twice let the lead slip as they were edged out by Lyon in the European Challenge Cup.

Josh Adams and Danny Southworth gave the visitors a 14-5 lead inside 15 minutes at Stade Matmut de Gerland.

But Ethan Dumortier, with two, Alfred Parisien and Yanis Charcosset all responded for Lyon to clinch a bonus point.

Ellis Bevan and Gabriel Hamer-Webb struck again for Cardiff to lead for a second time in the second half.

But a failed restart saw Esteban Gonzalez slide over before Lyon closed out the victory with late penalties.

Two-time cup winners Cardiff, who showed 11 changes from their last league match, had the consolation of a bonus point while Lyon, struggling in the Top 14, ended a five-game losing run.

Steffan Emanuel became Cardiff's youngest player to appear in Europe - at 18 years and 159 days old - and made a dream start, setting up the opening score.

The teenage centre handed Adams an easy finish for his first Cardiff try for a year, inside just four minutes.

And even after Lyon swiftly responded through Dumortier's solo score, Cardiff stretched their lead further when prop Danny Southworth burrowed over.

Dan Thomas prevented a score but Georgia full-back Davit Niniashvili fended off Hamer-Webb for Parisien to close the gap.

But Lyon's driving maul steadily began to dominate, setting up Dumortier's second try just before half-time before hooker Charcosset finished another drive to clinch the bonus.

A much-changed Cardiff side refused to yield and after Emanuel was held up from an interception, Bevan darted between the posts.

A break by Rey Lee-Lo, the only survivor from their last win in France here at Lyon in 2018, went unfinished.

But Harri Millard's burst ended with fellow wing Hamer-Webb scoring in the opposite corner for a 26-24 lead.

Sheedy missed the conversion and just seconds later, Lyon outjumped Cardiff's forwards for the kick-off and scrum-half Gonzalez slid over before the late penalties.

Lyon: Davit Niniashvili; Ethan Dumortier, Alfred Parisien, Josiah Maraku, Vincent Rattez; Martin Meliande, Charlie Cassang; Hamza Kaabeche, Yanis Charcosset, Cedate Gomes Sa, Killian Geraci, Alban Roussel, Dylan Cretin (capt), Marvin Okuya, Maxime Gouzou.

Replacements: Baptiste Narmand, Jérôme Rey, Jermaine Ainsley, Arno Botha, Beka Shvangiradze, Esteban Gonzalez, Alexandre Tchaptchet, Thibaut Regard.

Cardiff: Jacob Beetham; Josh Adams, Rey Lee-Lo, Steffan Emanuel, Gabriel Hamer-Webb; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan; Danny Southworth, Evan Lloyd, Rhys Litterick, Seb Davies, Teddy Williams (Capt), Alex Mann, Dan Thomas, Alun Lawrence.

Replacements: Daf Hughes, Rhys Barratt, Will Davies-King, Josh McNally, Thomas Young, Johan Mulder, Callum Sheedy, Harri Millard.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU).

Assistant referees: Jonny Perriam & Rob McDowell (SRU).

TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU).