There will not be a 100% blue-white-red final in the Champions Cup, Stade Toulousain having been curtly eliminated, but French rugby can count on the European Challenge to catch up.
Lyon and Toulon will indeed compete for the title in Marseille on May 27, already ensuring that the trophy, won by Montpellier last year, will remain in France.
This will be the first continental final for LOU, qualified by taking the best of the English Wasps (20-18) on Saturday at the Gerland stadium.
Trailing for a long time, the Lyonnais overturned the score on the return from the locker room thanks to two tries from opener Léo Berdeu and hooker Yanis Charcosset.
Berdeu scored a valuable penalty fifteen minutes from time to make it 20-11 and despite center Jimmy Gopperth's try, LOU held on until the end.
For its part, Toulon dominated Saracens (25-16) at Mayol, thanks to two tries from winger Gabin Villière in the first period.
The Fijian wing three-quarter Jiuta Wainiqolo mystified three defenders to score under the posts in the second act and give a little air to the Var, who were able to withstand the English waves with more serenity.
The RCT will therefore play a fourth European Challenge final, after having lost the previous three (2010, 2012, 2020).
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