Bath Rugby and Stade Francis had two very different experiences in the first round of the 2009/10 Heineken Cup.

The English side travelled to Belfast and were greeted by atrocious weather conditions of driving rain and swirling wind. It did not suit them and they went down2 6-12 to the home side.

By contrast Stade Francais enjoyed an afternoon in the sunshine as they blew Edinburgh away in the first forty minutes of their match at Stade Jean Boin. They had secured the bonus point by the break and were able to take their foot from the gas in the second period.

Expect no such slouching this weekend. Bath at home will be an entirely different proposition and, judging by recent road trips to England, a thoroughly losable game for Jacques Delmas’ side with Bath needing to get a result.