After a thrilling season, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff will burst into life once more on Friday night when Bath Rugby and Lyon OU collide in the EPCR Challenge Cup final.
Both teams are aiming for their second title in this competition, with Bath last winning the tournament in 2008, while Lyon last lifted the title in 2022.
Match preview
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Arriving in Cardiff as firm favourites, Bath have been the dominant force in this season's Gallagher Premiership, sitting comfortably at the top of the table and holding a commanding 15-point lead over second-placed Sale Sharks with one round remaining before the playoffs.
The Blue, Black and Whites were on a 10-game winning streak since February 28 before that run came to an end with a defeat to the Bristol Bears on May 10, but they bounced back from that defeat with a commanding 43-15 victory over Leicester last weekend.
Johann van Graan's men entered the Challenge Cup after falling short in their Champions Cup pool, managing just one win and three losses to finish fifth behind Clermont, Benetton, La Rochelle and Leinster.
However, they have been excellent in this competition and secured their spot in the final with a 39–24 semi-final win away to Edinburgh, having previously cruised past Gloucester 61–26 at home in the quarter-finals and defeated Section Paloise 49–24 on the road in the Round of 16.
Having already won the Premiership Rugby Cup and secured top seeding in the Premiership last weekend, Bath are on course to make this season a historic one by winning a treble.
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Meanwhile, despite their struggles in the Top 14 this season, Lyon were solid through the Challenge Cup group stage to finish second in their pool and now appear to be hitting their stride at just the right moment.
LOU opened their campaign with a 37–26 home win over Cardiff, followed by a narrow 21–19 victory against Zebre in Parma, while their only pool-stage loss came in a 52–24 defeat at Connacht, before they bounced back emphatically with a 68–21 thrashing of the Cheetahs in their final group match.
The French outfit also travelled to Wales for a tight quarter-final showdown against the Ospreys in Swansea, narrowly winning 20–18, after taking down last season's Challenge Cup champions, the Sharks, with a 34–21 victory at home in the Round of 16.
Lyon secured their place in Cardiff by defeating Racing 92 29-15 at home in the semi-finals, where they finished as the stronger team, with Leo Berdeu slotting away three penalties in the final quarter to keep his side in with a shot of replicating their 2022 success in the competition.
Bath Rugby European Challenge Cup form:
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Lyon OU European Challenge Cup form:
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Team News
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With England star Ollie Lawrence currently sidelined by a nasty Achilles injury, Bath were undoubtedly elated to welcome Max Ojomoh back last week at the Rec, where he delivered a stunning 35-minute cameo.
Cameron Redpath injured his ankle during Saturday's commanding 43-15 win over the Tigers and is a minor doubt for this match, though reports suggest he should be good to go on Friday night.
Baptiste Couilloud started on the bench against Stade Francais at the weekend, but he is back in the starting lineup for this crucial clash, and is the heartbeat of this French side, orchestrating play with precision and a sharp eye for the try line.
One player who Bath fans will know all too well is flying Fijian Semi Radradra, who tormented the Blue, Black and Whites during his time with Bristol, and he will need to rediscover the explosive form that once made him the most feared midfielder in world rugby if Lyon are to gain the upper hand against their English rivals.
Bath Rugby predicted starting lineup: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Cameron Redpath, 12 Will Butt, 11 Will Muir, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben Spencer (c), 8 Miles Reid, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Ciaran Donoghue, 23 Alfie Barbeary
Lyon OU predicted starting lineup: 15 Davit Niniashvili, 14 Vincent Rattez, 13 Josiah Maraku, 12 Theo Millet, 11 Ethan Dumortier, 10 Leo Berdeu, 9 Baptiste Couilloud (c), 8 Arno Botha, 7 Liam Allen, 6 Dylan Cretin, 5 Mickael Guillard, 4 Theo William, 3 Jermaine Ainsley, 2 Guillaume Marchand, 1 Hamza Kaabeche
Replacements: 16 Yanis Charcosset, 17 Jerome Rey, 18 Cedate Gomes Sa, 19 Killian Geraci, 20 Beka Saginadze, 21 Maxime Gouzou, 22 Charlie Cassang, 23 Martin Meliande
We say: Bath Rugby 32-21 Lyon OU
Given their poor form in the Top 14 this season, this would be the perfect way for Lyon to salvage their season, but Bath have looked a cut above the rest since dropping into the Challenge Cup, and we feel they will come out on top in this one.
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Devesh Jaganath
