Rugby-Lyon end 89-year barren spell by beating Toulon in Challenge Cup final

Lyon deservedly won their first major trophy in 89 years when they overwhelmed error-strewn triple European champions Toulon 30-12 in an all-French Challenge Cup final in Marseille on Friday.

Lyon deservedly won their first major trophy in 89 years when they overwhelmed error-strewn triple European champions Toulon 30-12 in an all-French Challenge Cup final in Marseille on Friday. Appearing in their first major final since they were crowned French champions in 1933, Lyon were on top for most of the game as Toulon looked a pale shadow of the team who overwhelmed Saracens in the semi-finals and made it four defeats in four finals in Europe's second-tier competition.

A Baptiste Couilloud try had Lyon 10-7 ahead after a scruffy first half before two tries in three minutes early in the second - a penalty try and an excellent score for Pierre-Louis Barassi - put them in control. Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe claimed a late consolation for Toulon in a chaotic final quarter full of yellow cards and injuries but Lyon - briefly down to 13 men - kept their shape and kept making tackles to ensure the trophy was theirs.

The Stade Velodrome crowd of 51,431 was a record for the competition and there will be even more there on Saturday when Leinster face La Rochelle in the Champions Cup final.

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