The Cheetahs needed a win away from home in their final pool match to secure a place in the knockout stages of the competition. It was never going to be an easy task to win in Lyon and it wasn’t on the day, with the French team scoring 10 tries to the visitors’ three.

The 68-21 defeat will hurt coach Izak van der Westhuizen and the men from Bloemfontein, who had qualified for the playoffs in both their previous Challenge Cup campaigns.  

The Toyota Cheetahs scored first through flanker Daniel Maartens, but that was followed by five tries from Lyon in the first half. Davit Niniashivili, Dylan Cretin, Josia Maraku and Martin Page-Relo all scored for the hosts, with Maraku going over the whitewash twice. Léo Berdeu only missed one conversion, which didn’t help the Cheetahs’ cause.

??FULL-TIME#LYNvCHE@ToyotaSA @ChallengeCup_ pic.twitter.com/N9IL0DqKMP

— Toyota Cheetahs (@CheetahsRugby) January 18, 2025

In the second half, Monty Ioane opened the scoring for Lyon, with Berdeu causing further destruction – scoring two tries and converting both. Prince Nkabinde and Neels Volschenk both scored consolation tries for the Cheetahs, converted by Cohen Jasper, but Lyon had the last say, with Alban Roussel and Camille Chat rubbing salt in the wounds.

After the final pool rounds the following teams qualified for the Round of 16:

Pool 1 – Connacht Rugby, Lyon Olympique Universitaire

Pool 2 – Montpellier Herault Rugby, Ospreys, Section Paloise, Lions

Pool 3 – Edinburgh Rugby, Scarlets

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger cg