Joy for ex-Munster coach Van Graan as Bath stay on track for treble
BATH CRUISED past Lyon 37-12 on Friday to win the Challenge Cup in Cardiff to keep their hopes of a treble alive.
They lifted the Premiership Cup in March and have a league semi-final at home on 6 June in their hunt for three trophies in one season.
The English Premiership leaders played with 13 men during the first half at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium as England flanker Sam Underhill and centre Will Muir were sin-binned, but Johann van Graan's side managed to hold on to lift another continental title after success in 2008.
South African Van Graan started Scotland's Finn Russell at fly-half, weeks after he was included in the British and Irish Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia.
Russell's opposite number 10 was Lyon's Leo Berdeu, one of seven survivors from their 2022 Challenge Cup success alongside half-back partner and club captain Baptiste Couilloud.
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The two-time French champions had the better of the opening exchanges and deservedly opened the scoring after four minutes.
France winger Ethan Dumortier dived over in the corner to make it 5-0 following a good support line from full-back Davit Niniashvili.
By the 26-minute mark, the English club, champions in 2014 at the adjacent Cardiff Arms Park, turned the game on its head to lead 17-5 as hooker Tom Dunn's and centre Max Ojomoh crossing with Russell added seven points from the tee.
Just before the half-hour, Underhill was shown his yellow card for a high tackle on Georgia livewire Niniashvili after referral with the television match official.
With five minutes left of the half, Muir was given his marching orders for taking out Dumortier in the air, in a busy spell for referee Holly Davidson, the first woman to officiate a continental final.
Lyon were unable to make the most of the numerical superiority as Van Graan's side weathered the storm and were 12 points up at the break.
With half an hour left, the lead was just eight points as Lyon's South African No 8 Arno Botha crashed over after a Russell penalty, with the score at 20-12.
Bath then took full control of the game as prop Beno Obano powered his way to the line and captain Ben Spencer strolled over to the joy of the majority English crowd, who had made the one-hour journey across the Severn Bridge.
Russell's extras made it 34-12 with barely 15 minutes to go before the influential Spencer was given a standing ovation as he was replaced and was later named player of the match.
The Scotland playmaker kept his 100% record from the tee with a 72-minute penalty to make sure of Bath's first Challenge Cup title since 2008.
– © AFP 2025
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