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Bath travel to Bordeaux-Begles looking for a repeat of last season's stunning showing in the pool stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup. - 08/10/2013 10:48
Bath travel to Bordeaux-Begles looking for a repeat of last season’s stunning showing in the pool stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup.
The West Country outfit won all six of their group games last time out as they secured a home quarter-final against Stade Francais.
Bath bagged an incredible 29 out of a possible 30 points last term but they will have to produce an impressive performance to start that trend again at the Stade Chaban Delmas.
Gary Gold’s team have lost their last two league games on the road, with their most recent reverse coming at Sale Sharks a week ago.
Bath still occupy a Premiership play-off place, though, with their three wins in five fixtures meaning they were fourth in the table prior to the European break.
Bordeaux-Begles are lower down the standings in the French Top 14 after four wins in nine attempts but their home form has been hugely impressive. Montpellier are the only team to have won in Bordeaux so far this season, with Heineken Cup heavyweights Toulouse and French Champions Castres Olympique both leaving with a loss. Oyonnax were also beaten in Bordeaux, while Bayonne were thumped 34-6 in the last round of domestic action.
The hosts are looking for their first win in Europe since December 2011, though, after they were turned over in all six fixtures last season to take their losing streak out to eight.
The last time these two teams met on the European stage was a momentous occasion. - 02/04/2014 09:56
Former Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup winners Bath began their latest European adventure with an impressive win at Bordeaux-Begles.
Young fly-half George Ford was yet again the star of the show for the English outfit as he kicked all his side’s points in 15-6 success.
Ford picked up the Amlin Man of the Match award after slotting five penalties as Bath put themselves on the front foot in Pool 2 ahead of next Saturday’s clash with fellow Round 1 winners Newport Gwent Dragons at The Rec.
Bath won all six games and finished with 29 points from a possible 30 in last season’s pool stages and their opening display at the Stade Chaban Delmas suggests they are keen to be equally successful this time around.
It was Bordeaux who actually began the contest the brighter as they were camped on the Bath line in the early stages, but a strong charge from second row Will Spencer saw Ford open the scoring with a simple penalty after nine minutes.
Ford showed his class with a clever chip and chase that could have led to a try had play not been halted for offside and he eventually doubled the lead with 27 minutes played.
Bordeaux had a certain try chalked off for a forward pass but they opened their account with a Manu Saubusse penalty eight minutes before the interval after Spencer saw yellow.
A third penalty from Ford handed Bath a 9-3 advantage on the stroke of half-time and the International Rugby Board Young Player of the Year made it 12-3 with another successful strike 10 minutes after the interval.
Wales prop Paul James became the second Bath player to see yellow after 64 minutes and scrum-half Saubusse cut the gap with his second strike with seven minutes left to play.
But Bath refused to buckle late on and Ford secured the win with a fifth kick in the final minute.
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