Lyon (AFP)

Lyon preserved its chances of qualifying for the finals of the Top 14 by snatching the victory (41-30) on Saturday on its ground against a Clermont reduced to 14 during half of the meeting.

At the end of an unbridled match, the Lyonnais got the best in the last minutes against the Jaunards, dominated for most of the meeting but who never gave up.

In the fight for qualification, Lyon scored a valuable success that allows it to move up to fifth place (56 points), ahead of Bordeaux Bègles, whose match, scheduled for Sunday, against Montpellier was postponed after a player from the 'UBB exhibited symptoms of Covid-19.

For his part, Clermont missed the opportunity to clinch a third away victory and take a serious option on qualifying.

ASM remains 4th with 59 points.

Criticized after their performance in Exeter and La Rochelle, the Lyon forwards were decisive at the end of the match, well helped by their scrum half, Baptiste Couilloud.

On a carried ball, they sent Couilloud to the test, to pass in front four minutes from the end (34-30. 76th).

In the process, the international stole a ball in a ruck twenty meters from his line.

On the counter-attack, the center Josua Tuisova scored his second try which deprived the Clermont of the defensive bonus (41-30. 80th).

- Individual achievements -

The visitors deserved better, however.

Led by ten points at the break, outnumbered throughout the second period, after the final exclusion of the third row Judicaël Cancoriet (40th), the Clermontois managed to return to the game.

The entry of scrum-half Morgan Parra, at the break, gave color to a team orphaned by its opener Camille Lopez, injured.

His skill against the poles (13 points to 5/5) and a try from Georges Moala (52) even allowed the visitors to regain the advantage (23-20. 59th).

In the first period, Clermont had taken the best start thanks to a "cap test" from Yato, the Lyonnais, who believed in a forward, having stopped playing.

But, much more dynamic, Pierre Mignoni's team quickly gained the upper hand thanks to two individual exploits.

From a chistera, the scrum-half Jonathan Pélissié sent his winger Xavier Mignot to the test (10-7. 15th), then Tuisova, still excellent, started from his center line to review the Clermont defense (17 -7. 20th).

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