Bath once enjoyed success in Europe, but their record of one Heineken Cup title pales alongside Toulouse’s four. The French club’s season has not been without its travails and it is not unknown for clubs from the Top 14 to sacrifice Europe to concentrate on survival at home.
Not Toulouse. Their ambition to prosper in cross-border competition burns as fiercely as ever and they put in a consummate away performance, scoring three tries and fending off a late rally by Bath. Here is an example of the difference in experience. Through injuries to half a dozen regulars, Bath selected this back row: Dominic Day, more accustomed to the second row, David Sisi and the debutant 19-year old, Charlie Ewels, also a second row. Against them were Thierry Dusautoir, Imanol Harinordoquy and Louis Picamoles, who just happened to have 181 caps for France between them.
Perhaps it would not matter. Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Semesa Rokoduguni do not have much international experience yet, but they looked sharp whenever they had the ball. And thanks to a surprisingly dominant scrum, it came their way frequently. And once, when it did not, there was an interesting moment. After an attempted attacking probe by Ollie Devoto fell only into the arms of Yoann Huget, offering the international wing a long gallop to the line, Joseph, almost without hitting full speed it seemed, chased him down. If Joseph does not have a long and distinguished England career it will not be for lack of speed.
If the Bath runners could make half-breaks, they could not finish the job in the first half. With the wind at their backs, an early penalty and a drop goal after half an hour by Ford did not look enough of a tally. Especially since Toulouse scored the one try of the half, a tap penalty on the Bath 22 leading to a typically forceful drive by Picamoles, a switch of direction by Toby Flood and the languid exploitation of an overlap by Maxime Médard and Vincent Clerc. Flood’s conversion – he did not otherwise have the best of the days with the boot – meant the visitors were a point ahead at the interval.
That soon became a one-point lead for Bath as Ford landed a penalty and continued to look entirely assured in the company of the very best. He was kicking the ball a mile and accurately and was never afraid to take on defenders if his passing options dried up.
That lead, however, did not last more than five minutes. Big Joe Tekori came on and blasted even more forcefully than Picamoles. His thrust set up the try for Harinordoquy, who has been central to Toulouse’s recovery. Flood converted.
Ford was on target again with his third penalty, but the score also brought a halt to Bath’s drive. Toulouse had more possession now, and the big replacements were making yards. Moreover, little Sébastien Bézy was starting to read Ford’s kicks and the scrum-half scampered back to make a couple of marks in his 22, interrupting the flow. Bézy was busy and very effective.
If their defence were learning where Bath were trying to go, now it was the turn of the Toulouse attackers to put the game to bed. They kept their patience and went through a whole multiplicity of phases until Médard crossed. With Flood receiving attention – he would go off a few minutes later with a leg strain – Luke McAlister converted. And controlled the rest of the game from the fly-half position.
It was not quite the end of the matter. Dave Attwood, who had a most effective game in the second row with his lineout work and general industry around the field, stormed forward to set up a dash for the corner by Olly Woodburn. On review it seemed the replacement had gone out of play, but play resumed with a penalty and Ross Batty scored from the heart of a driving maul.
Two points separated the teams after Ford’s conversion, setting up a pulsating final three minutes. Well, it would have been if Toulouse had surrendered the ball, which they only did when Jano Vermaak passed the ball forward to Harinordoquy.
Bath rediscovered the drive at the scrum, that had fuelled their hopes in the first half, and earned a penalty. Only for young Ewels to lose the ball in contact. It was the last lesson of the day for the youngster thrust into facing France’s best. He had played his heart out and his team-mates slapped him consolingly on his weary back.
Losing two games at the start of the new European campaign almost puts Bath out of contention. It’s cruel world that the French and English clubs have invented for themselves. Bath’s early-season promise looks a little tattered now, while Toulouse have recovered and look ominous.
