Bath are not yet certain of qualification for the knockout stages of this year’s Champions Cup but this six-try bonus point victory has given their chances a much-needed boost. While plenty still hinges on the outcome of Saturday’s trip to Leinster, they are still alive in a pool where every point is having to be earned the hard way.
The Premiership pace-setters may still have to rely on Benetton being well beaten at home to La Rochelle but a losing bonus point in Dublin could now narrowly sneak them through. If they do make it through they will be suitably grateful, not for the first time, to their South African prop Thomas du Toit, whose brace of tries added further gloss to a typically strong set-piece performance.
It did no harm that Clermont were forced to play for almost three-quarters of the game with 14 men following a red card to their Georgian prop Giorgi Akhaladze for a high swinging arm on Max Ojomoh. Bath’s head coach, Johann van Graan, felt Du Toit and his fellow tight forwards had fully deserved their reward.
How England’s watching head coach, Steve Borthwick, must wish he could whistle up Du Toit for the looming Six Nations but a couple of other Bath candidates quietly made a case for squad inclusion on a cool, still evening in north-east Somerset. The centre Ojomoh and the flanker Ted Hill may not have propelled themselves straight into the starting XV to face Ireland on 1 February but, equally, they offered a further reminder that English rugby has no shortage of talent.
Bath, whose England flanker Sam Underhill will have surgery on an injured ankle next week, now need the entire squad to deliver in Dublin, where it cannot be guaranteed they will enjoy the same officiating breaks as they did here. Clermont were deprived of a potential late bonus point when it seemed for all the world that the home side had been clinging on desperately to the ball on their own line. The red card was also slightly debatable. Slow-motion replays, as usual, made the collision appear more serious and the crowd’s loud disapproval when the incident was replayed on the big screen duly sealed Akhaladze’s fate.
It was a slight shame from a neutral perspective as the game was nicely poised, but Bath were hardly complaining. An unscheduled loss in Treviso before Christmas had left them needing a good win to boost qualification prospects and a fast opening surge by the visitors would have raised more than a few nagging doubts.
Bristol bounce back to beat Benetton
Bristol fought back from a half-time deficit to post the first victory of their European campaign but controversy shrouded the 35-29 win over Benetton at Ashton Gate.
Benetton appeared to have run in a late try through Rhyno Smith which, if converted, would have denied the Bears, but referee Luc Ramos saw a marginal obstruction earlier in the move and ruled it out.
Ramos’s decision keeps Bristol in contention to reach the knockout phase but they must win at Clermont on Saturday to have any chance of progressing.
The Bears trailed 17-14 at the interval but took charge in the third quarter with Max Lahiff, Harry Thacker and Kieran Marmion (pictured) touching down to add to early tries from James Williams and Marmion.
Bristol had rung the changes for the game, including giving Ireland fly-half Harry Byrne his first start following his arrival on loan from Leinster, and it had taken time for them to click.
But just as they seemed to be cruising towards the finishing line and with big hitters such as Ellis Genge, Steven Luatua and Harry Randall arriving off the bench, Benetton hit back.
Italy centre Nacho Brex was becoming an increasingly influential figure through his carrying and handling and in the 68th minute he slipped a clever pass to Tommaso Menoncello, who produced a dynamic finish.
The gap was now just six points and Brex showed his class again in the 77th minute through the timing of his pass out of the back, but after repeat viewings of the move Ramos judged there was then an obstruction that prevented Kalaveti Ravouvou from making a tackle and Bristol were saved.
Leinster sealed their 12th successive win in all competitions as they beat La Rochelle 16-14 to move top of Pool 2.
Despite the hosts dominating the first half at the Stade Marcel Deflandre, Leinster went in ahead at half-time, thanks to Joe McCarthy's try.
Two penalties from Sam Prendergast extended their lead, but La Rochelle hit back through Dillyn Leyds. That sent up a tense finale, but a battling defensive effort helped Leinster hold on as they all but secured their place in the last 16. PA Media
Instead Clermont made a dismal start. Bath had not one but two converted tries on the board inside the first six minutes, the first from Tom de Glanville after a slicing break from Ojomoh and the second from Finn Russell, ducking inside to score having convinced the visiting defence otherwise.
A furious close-range bombardment yielded a much-needed score at the other end for Clermont, fourth in this season’s Top 14, but for all the darting industry of their scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau, just 21 but already capped by France, their chances all but disappeared the moment Akhaladze departed.
Within two minutes of his departure Bath collected their third try, a lovely chip over the top from Russell paying off handsomely courtesy of a one-handed catch and swift offload from Ojomoh which sent big Joe Cokanasiga thundering over. Borthwick likes Ojomoh as a player and this was exactly the type of game-splitting skill that England should be seeking.
It would be a huge punt to lob a player such as Ojomoh straight in against Ireland but his time may yet come if England’s midfield conundrum persists. Ollie Lawrence will be in Borthwick’s squad but the perfect Red Rose centre pairing remains largely a matter of opinion.
Cokanasiga is another international who can blow hot and cold and the wing was fortunate when a defensive fumble did not present Clermont with a second try because of a knock-on way back upfield. The visitors did cross the line twice more through Anthony Belleau and Peceli Yato but once Bath established themselves in their opponents’ 22 they mostly delivered.
Du Toit’s try-scoring stats continue to impress and Lawrence also made it on to the scoresheet to compound Clermont’s frustration. The French side now cannot claim a home tie in the last 16 and had been desperate to return home with something. “We’ve put ourselves in a bit of a hole by not getting a point here,” said Ian Vass, Clermont’s skills coach. “That would have made a huge difference, and it’s why we’re so disappointed.”
