Lyon down Sharks in thriller

The Sharks went down 34-21 to Lyon in Sunday's Challenge Cup Round of 16 clash at Stade Gerland despite finishing strongly with two consolation tries.

The defending champions were missing several first-choice players, with head coach John Plumtree choosing instead to save his frontline stars for the ongoing URC campaign, and their inexperience cost them in several key moments.

The Sharks made a dream start when Fez Mbatha crashed over from a driving maul in the 4th minute, with Siya Masuku adding a stunning conversion against the wind to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.

But Lyon responded swiftly. A Leo Berdeu penalty reduced the gap before Alexandre Tchaptchet dotted down a superb team try to edge the hosts in front. From there, momentum swung heavily in Lyon's favour.

Lock Theo William charged through the Sharks' defence for a powerful try under the posts, followed soon after by Yanis Charcosset off the back of a maul. Then it was Josiah Maraku's turn to exploit a gap from a scrum to cap a dominant first-half display as Lyon went into the break with a commanding 27-7 lead.

The Sharks showed more fight after the restart, applying sustained pressure inside Lyon's 22 but failing to convert opportunities into points. A mix of handling errors and Lyon's resolute defence kept them at bay.

Instead, Lyon extended their lead midway through the second half when Charlie Cassang broke from a scrum and set up Vincent Rattez to score under the poles, stretching the margin to 34-7.

Late in the game, the Sharks managed two consolation tries. Corne Rahl muscled over after strong forward play, and Tinotenda Mavesere added a brilliant solo effort in the final minute. Jean Smith converted both, but it was too little too late.

Despite a spirited start and some late energy, the Sharks were ultimately outmuscled and outclassed by a Lyon side that capitalised on nearly every opportunity.