Lyon finally end hunt for European trophy and spare Davit Niniashvili's blushes

Lyon claimed their first European silverware by defeating Toulon in the Challenge Cup final and no one would have been more relieved than Davit Niniashvili.

The Georgian winger entered the botched try hall of shame inhabited by the likes of Freddie Burns and Juan Manuel Leguizamón when he needlessly put his foot on the dead-ball line in the process of grounding the ball. At that stage the final was in the balance at 10-7 just before half-time. Fortunately his mistake did not prove critical as two tries in two second half minutes - the first a penalty try, the second a marvellous team score finished by Pierre-Louis Barassi - secured the result.

The presence of Joel Kpoku in the Lyon ranks ensured there will be at least one English European champion this season but no doubt the watching Eddie Jones would have been casting an envious eye over the ridiculous depth France possess at scrum-half. Baptiste Serin was decent for Toulon but Baptiste Couilloud, who is somewhere between third and fourth choice for Les Bleus, was absolutely outstanding for Lyon. So too, despite his blunder, was Niniashvili. 

Toulon had the Mediterranean home advantage, but Lyon made a dominant start. Couilloud had a try disallowed for a knock-on but Lyon were gifted the opening score. Sergio Parisse, the great Italian No8, spotted an overlap but at 38 his reactions are not what they once were and his pass was picked off by opposite number Jordan Taufua. Like any good scrum-half, Couilloud stayed on his shoulder to gather the offload which was followed by a gusty booing of Leo Berdeu’s conversion. 

It was not the last time in this half that Toulon were their own worst enemies but in their first real attacking penetration of the Lyon 22 they drew level.