Lyon flash the edge, then hang on as Clermont rally too late
This opener told us two things. First, Lyon have enough bite in their backline and nerve on the tee to build a lead against anyone. Second, they are not yet a 80-minute side. For an hour they were slick, direct and disciplined in the red zone; over the final quarter they were ragged, passive and inviting trouble.
It also underlined where ASM Clermont Auvergne are right now: plenty of ball, plenty of athletes, not nearly enough control until the game loosened. Their bench changed the temperature, but the hole was dug long before.
Lyon
Clermont
G. Lorre (3', 14'), B. Shvangiradze (43'), E. Dumortier (52')
Tries
A. Loaloa (30'), A. Hemery (62'), H. Plummer (68'), K. Noah (72'), A. Lam (81')
L. Berdeu (3', 15', 44', 53')
Conversions
H. Plummer (31', 62', 69', 81')
L. Berdeu (10', 22', 41'), M. Meliande (77')
Penalties
H. Plummer (40+2')
The contest was shaped before the clocks had a chance to settle. Lyon’s first two scores both went to Gabin Lorre hitting the line from full-back, the first a simple, sharp strike off set play, the second off multi-phase after they had won the gain line twice in midfield. Clermont were already chasing when Thibaud Lanen went to the bin; the yellow didn’t create the problem so much as confirm it. With advantage on the scoreboard, Léo Berdeu did the sensible thing: keep it ticking. Three penalties either side of the break, all banged over, and Clermont were living off scraps.
Why did Lyon streak away? They were efficient whenever they got close. Four visits, four tries: Lorre’s brace, Beka Shvangiradze pounding over just after half-time, and Ethan Dumortier finishing a well-worked edge shape. More important than the finishes was what came before them. The LOU back row — Shvangiradze with 17 tackles and go-forward on the carry, Beka Saginadze tidying rucks, and Mickaël Guillard emptying the tank for 19 tackles — won enough collisions to slow Clermont’s ball and earn seven turnovers. When they did concede penalties, Berdeu’s management and boot made them hurt less.
Clermont had the bulk of possession but too often it was slow or sideways. Hooker Barnabé Massa coughed up four turnovers and their clean-break count barely moved before the hour. The pack weren’t bullied — their lineout functioned and the scrum held up — but Lyon’s line speed and fold forced them back inside repeatedly. It wasn’t until the changes came that the visitors found tempo and width.
That late charge was real, even if the context matters. Anthime Hémery arrived and immediately ran flat at the line; Harry Plummer started taking the ball in two hands and asking different questions; fresh legs in the back three finally stretched a tiring defence. Five-pointers for Hémery, Plummer, Kevin Noah and, at the death, AJ Lam dragged Clermont from 37–10 to within a score with time dead. It speaks well of their resilience and their depth.
But does the finish flatter the visitors or expose the hosts? A bit of both. Lyon had the game put away at 53 minutes and then lost their grip. Berdeu went off, field position kicking fell away, and they conceded too many soft penalties. The exit after the restart preceding Plummer’s try was loose, the kick-chase for Noah’s score non-existent. Charlie Cassang had a messy night with ball security and service, and the LOU bench couldn’t reassert control. If you’re looking for work-ons, there they are.
Match Stats
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
YELLOW CARD
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
The numbers back the picture. Clermont owned 54% possession and racked up 136 carries, yet managed only three clean breaks. Lyon, with less ball, made ten breaks and seven steals, which is why they spent an hour in front-foot patterns rather than firefighting. Kylan Hamdaoui ran hard for 95 metres and Bautista Delguy beat defenders, but too much of that was in parts of the field Lyon were happy to give up.
Individuals swung it early. Lorre’s timing from the back was excellent and he threatened on kick returns. Berdeu was calm and clinical to 17 points, and his decision to keep the scoreboard moving either side of half-time closed the door on Clermont’s hopes of an arm wrestle. Shvangiradze was the best forward on the pitch, equal parts ballast and punch. For Clermont, Plummer’s 16 points and late try came with a proper grip of the attack once the game broke up; Lam and Noah offered the acceleration the starting backline lacked; Marcos Kremer worked as ever but was often tackling on Lyon’s terms.
What does it mean? For Lyon, this is a template and a warning. The template: strike accuracy, a reliable goal-kicker, and a back row that turns breakdowns into points. The warning: they cannot clock off with 20 to play and expect to survive better teams’ benches. Shore up exits, tidy the discipline, and they’ll be dangerous at home and away.
For Clermont, the lesson is harsher but clear. You can’t spot teams a three-score head start in this league and expect your finishers to bail you out every week. Clean up the contact — Massa won’t enjoy the tape — speed up the ruck, and give Plummer the front-foot ball he used so well late on. The bench impact is a genuine weapon. The first hour needs to catch up.