Mignoni tells Lyon ‘only winners’ are remembered

Head coach Mignoni steered his side to their first European final after edging out Wasps 20-18, but he insists only victory over RC Toulon on May 27 will make their achievement worth celebrating.

Lyon led 20-11 on 75 minutes, but had to hold off a late Wasps rally to win their semi-final at the Matmut Stadium and create a first piece of history.

Mignoni, who will coach Toulon next season, said: “It’s a huge happiness. I thank the players for making us live these kinds of moments.

Spotting the gaps 💪💥@LeLOURugby supplied the pace and power against Wasps Rugby in the semi-finals yesterday ⚫🔴 ⤵️#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/LokyrzaUow

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 15, 2022

“In the situation in which the world is, especially in Ukraine, to live moments like these is a privilege. But it will be historic only if we win. We only remember the winner.

“Today, there was a lot of desire, solidarity in the key moments.”

Scrum half Jean-Marc Doussain echoed his coach’s attitude, stating: “We have a group that is supportive. Not everything is perfect, as we know.

“But we have a lot of positive things in this group with an irrepressible state of mind and players who make differences.

“We are happy but there is nothing done. We haven’t won anything yet.”