- 1 LOU Rugby vs RC Vannes: Lyon back on track, Vannes off the mark
- 2 LOU Rugby: 224 points scored, and five tries at Bayonne to end the slide
- 3 RC Vannes: a first win in round 7, but three defeats from three on the road
- 4 Free Rugby Prediction: LOU Rugby vs RC Vannes
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
LOU Rugby vs RC Vannes: Lyon back on track, Vannes off the mark 
Iosefo Masi scored in the 76th minute at Jean-Dauger last Saturday, after Joris Segonds had missed touch with a penalty, and Lyon won 31-27 in Bayonne. It was their fifth try of the afternoon, and it ended a run of three straight league defeats.
Lyon host RC Vannes on Saturday 31 October at 15:35 UK time in round 8 of the Top 14. They’re fifth on 18 points, level with three other clubs, with four wins and three defeats. Vannes are bottom on 5 points, six behind Racing 92 in thirteenth.
Vannes arrive with their first win of the season in their pocket. They trailed Clermont 23-6 shortly after half-time at La Rabine, scored three tries in the last 25 minutes and won 27-26 when captain Francisco Gorrissen went over in the 79th minute and Anthony Bouthier converted.
That result doesn’t change much about their away form. Vannes have lost all three league games on the road this season, at Castres, Toulon and Perpignan, and they’ve conceded 202 points across seven matches. Before last weekend they hadn’t won since returning to the top flight, and the one victory came at home with a last-minute try.
The bookmakers have Lyon at 1.10 and Vannes at 7.00. I’d want more than a home win at that price, and the scoring patterns of both clubs suggest Lyon can pull clear if they start the way they finished in Bayonne.
LOU Rugby: 224 points scored, and five tries at Bayonne to end the slide 
Lyon came into last weekend on that three-game losing run. They’d been beaten 31-10 by Stade Français, 51-28 at Bordeaux-Begles and 28-16 at home by La Rochelle, conceding 110 points across the three games.
Bayonne led 21-12 at half-time after two tries from Guillaume Cramont and one from Léo Coly. Lyon then scored through Gabin Lorre in the 48th minute and Baptiste Couilloud in the 54th, and Léo Berdeu converted both.
Mickaël Guillard led the second-half fightback, and Théo Millet and Jiuta Wainiqolo had already crossed in the first quarter. That’s five different try-scorers in one away game, which fits a side that has scored 224 points, the fourth-highest total in the league behind Pau, Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse.
Lyon’s defence remains the weak spot: they’ve conceded 229, more than they’ve scored, and the 51-28 loss at Chaban-Delmas was the heaviest of the three defeats in that losing run.
At home the record is two wins and one defeat. They’ve beaten Clermont and Pau at home and lost to La Rochelle. A side in the top six with Lyon’s attacking numbers should be putting Vannes away by more than a score.
Segonds called the Bayonne game his side’s worst of the season, and Lyon took full advantage of a missed touch-finder in the final minutes. Lyon converted three of their five tries, so even on a winning day there were points left out on the pitch, and a cleaner kicking afternoon at home would add to the margin.
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RC Vannes: a first win in round 7, but three defeats from three on the road 
Vannes lost their first six league games. The Clermont comeback was built on the bench: hooker Sanerivi came on and scored in the 57th minute, Ioane Iashagashvili added a second try in the 67th, and Gorrissen finished it.
Jean-Noël Spitzer’s side finished that game with 14 men after Inia Tabuavou was injured with around ten minutes left. His fitness for the trip to Lyon wasn’t confirmed at the time of writing.
Bouthier took over the goal-kicking from Jean Cotarmanac’h during that match and landed all three conversions, including the winner. Cotarmanac’h had kicked two penalties in the first half, when Clermont were well on top.
Vannes were relegated straight back down after their first Top 14 season in 2024/25, then won Pro D2 last term. They’ve scored 144 points in seven games, the second-lowest tally in the division, and they’ve collected just one bonus point.
The away results are the clearest guide to Saturday. Vannes have lost at Castres, Toulon and Perpignan, and with one bonus point in the whole season, at least two of those defeats came by more than five points. One of those defeats came at Castres, the side with the lowest points total in the league, and Vannes still came away with nothing.
Probable lineup LOU Rugby: Not announced at time of publication
Probable lineup RC Vannes: Not announced at time of publication
Free Rugby Prediction: LOU Rugby vs RC Vannes
Our prediction: Lyon to win by 13 points or more
I’m backing Lyon to win by more than two scores. The 1.10 on the straight result is too short to bother with, and the gap in attacking output is big enough to justify a handicap: Lyon average 32 points a game, Vannes average 20.6.
Vannes have been beaten on all three of their away trips and have a single bonus point all season, so most of those defeats came by more than five points. Lyon scored five tries in Bayonne and 28 points even in the 51-28 defeat at Bordeaux-Begles, so the points will come.
The danger is Lyon’s own defence, 229 points conceded, and the lift Vannes will carry from beating Clermont. A late Vannes try could cut the margin. I still expect Lyon to have the game won by the hour mark and the bench to stretch it from there.
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