All-French affair for Challenge Cup finale

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Gabin Villiere scored a brace of tries on Saturday to help Toulon ease past Saracens 25-16 and line up a European Challenge Cup final against Top 14 rivals Lyon.

Lyon edged English Premiership club Wasps 20-18 in the opening semi-final. The two French sides will now meet in the Marseille decider 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.

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 Jiuta Wainiqolo.

Earlier in the day, Lyon had trailed 8-3 at half time, 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. “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 scrumhalf 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.

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.

Berdeu pulled back a penalty for Lyon before half time and eight minutes after the break put Lyon into the lead. He took a quick throw in his own half, 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 lineout.

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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© Agence France-Presse

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Devin Hermanus