Delon Is Eyeing One Last Hurrah With Lyon

One-time England winger Delon Armitage, who won four major trophies with Toulon, is now geared up to depriving them of another. And, by helping beat them 15-6 yesterday, he maintained Lyon’s hopes of grabbing a piece of silverware for themselves.

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For the win delivered by five Mike Harris penalties against two from his fly-half counterpart Anthony Belleau left his team just one point behind Toulon in the scrap to reach the playoffs.

At the age of 34, Armitage would love to crown a career often bedevilled by controversy on and off the field with a last hurrah. One thing is for sure. He doesn’t regret the decision to leave London Irish for French rugby not long before England placed a ban on those moving abroad.

He emerged from a self-imposed silence on the eve of the game to say: “It was a good choice. I’d say that playing in six finals and winning four trophies is finer even than the World Cup.”

Armitage has been in his shell – “it felt like I was alone against everyone” – since becoming a pariah for mocking Clermont’s Brock James while winning the Champions Cup five years ago.

He identified Lyon boss Pierre Mignoni, who was with him at Toulon, as the vital person who persuaded him to leave Toulon despite having a year on his contract still to run.

Armitage added: “Pierre is the only one who knows how to handle me and motivate me for matches and training, but it is not just by shouting at guys. He explains what he wants.”