Stade Français win Challenge Cup

Stade Français beat Gloucester 25-17 in the European Challenge Cup final at Murrayfield on Friday.

Former Bok flyhalf Morné Steyn came off the French club's bench to kick a conversion and then a penalty that sealed the win.

Stade Français fought back from 10-0 down after an interception try to Jonny May and a conversion and penalty from Billy Burns.

Sergio Parisse got his side back into the game with a try on the half-hour mark and the teams went into the break locked at 10-10.

Jonathan Danty put Stade Français ahead with a 57th-minute try and when Geoffrey Dumayrou dived over with nine minutes to go, and Steyn kicked the conversion, they had a 12-point lead.

Steyn then slotted a penalty, and while Ross Moriarty scored a late consolation try for Gloucester, it was Stade who celebrated their first European title.

Gloucester – Tries: Jonny May, Ross Moriarty. Conversions: Billy Burns (2). Penalty: Burns.
Stade Français – Tries: Sergio Parisse, Jonathan Danty, Geoffrey Dumayrou. Conversions: Jules Plisson, Morné Steyn. Penalties: Plisson, Steyn.

Gloucester – 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Matt Scott, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Jonny May, 10 Billy Burns, 9 Willi Heinz (c), 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 4 Tom Savage, 3 John Afoa, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Josh Hohneck.
Subs: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Paddy McAllister, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Freddie Clarke, 21 Greig Laidlaw, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Henry Trinder.

Stade Français – 15 Hugo Bonneval, 14 Waisea Vuidarvuwalu, 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Djibril Camara, 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Will Genia, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Jonathan Ross, 6 Antoine Burban, 5 Paul Gabrillagues, 4 Hugh Pyle, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Remi Bonfils, 1 Heinke van der Merwe
Subs: 16 Laurent Panis, 17 Zurabi Zhvania, 18 Paul Alo Emile, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Raphael Lakafia, 21 Julien Dupuy, 22 Morné Steyn, 23 Jérémy Sinzelle.

Photo: Jane Barlow/Getty Images

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