LONDON Welsh assistant coach Matt Ferguson confirmed that the team who lost 26-3 at Bordeaux-Begles last Friday, will start their final Pool 4 match against Lyon at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium on Sunday, writes SIMON WILLIAMS.

Exiles’ head coach Justin Burnell took the unusual step of telling the players in the huddle after their 26-3 defeat in Bordeaux he was so impressed with the performance he would be picking the same team against Lyon.

Praising the move, Ferguson said: “It showed Justin’s man-management is fantastic.

“To come up with that statement in the huddle, to me, as an ex-player, would be an excellent pat on the back.

“It is a testament to Justin that he took the opportunity to do that.

“They were a group of players who were hungry to perform.

“The fact that, with ten minutes to go, it was 12-3 against a top-five team in the France Top 14 underlines that.”

Welsh have yet to register a victory this season and are rooted to the bottom of the Aviva Premiership table.

“The atmosphere and attitude is as constructive today as the first training session in July,” he added.