Lyon (AFP)
They still measured what separated them from the best: after losing to Northampton, Lyon again gave Saturday in the European Cup against Leinster (6-13), victim of the realism of the Irish and the hermeticism of their defense.
This defeat against the finalist of the last edition - the eighth in eight matches since the beginning of the LOU in the event - greatly mortgages the chances of qualifying the Lyonnais.
Always weaned victories on the European level, the leader of the Top 14 has posted its limits at the highest level, exceeded by the power and speed of execution opponents. The conquest of his first point in the standings, thanks to a penalty two minutes from the end, is a small consolation.
"We lacked efficiency in our highlights," said the scrum-half and captain Baptiste Couilloud, who insists on "highlighting the beautiful defense of the Leinster".
Against a strong defense, Lyon waited for the 67th minute to score his first points on the scoreboard, on a penalty from his opener Jonathan Wisniewski (3-10).
Despite a good start to match the Lyonnais, it was the Irish who found the flaw in force, on a start of the flush of the center line Max Deegan (10-0, 22nd).
Quickly led by ten points, the Lyonnais have seen Couilloud sound revolt. Behind an opposing scrum, N.9 grabbed the ball from Luke McGrath but was stopped in front of the line.
In the wake, Irish winger Jordan Larmour was sentenced to a yellow card. But Lyon did not know how to take advantage of its numerical superiority.
Before the break, Lyon has approached several times of the opposing line: group penetrating illegally repulsed, (35th), Noa Nakaitaci taken on the wing, new ahead ... they let their luck pass.
In the second half, the LOU changed its strategy to favor occupying the foot. For the same meager result, like several group-penetrating (45th, 63rd) repulsed. The opening of the XV of Ireland Jonathan Sexton put an end to the Lyon hopes on penalty (3-13, 77th).
The Lyonnais hung the bonus on a second penalty of Wisniewski. A new front has come to ruin their baroud d'honneur, an illustration of the many small mistakes that did not allow them to conclude their actions despite their territorial domination.
© 2019 AFP