Bath cruise against Edinburgh as Bulls stun Pau in Champions Cup / Photo: GAIZKA IROZ - AFP
NYSE - LSE
Bath cruise against Edinburgh as Bulls stun Pau in Champions Cup
English champions Bath ensured a top seeding for the Champions Cup knock-out stages with a nine-try bonus point 63-10 thumping of Edinburgh on Friday.
Victory ensured that Bath will top Pool 2 while Edinburgh are left sweating over what happens in the group's other matches on Saturday to see if they make it into the last 16.
Meanwhile, South Africans Bulls stunned French Top 14 high-flyers Pau to boost their hopes of making the knock-out stages with a come-from-behind 26-24 victory in southwest France.
Bath had the attacking bonus point sewn up by half-time with a penalty try and one score each from their three front-rowers, Thomas Du Toit, Beno Obano and Tom Dunn.
Piers O'Connor replied for Edinburgh while Ross Thompson also kicked a penalty but they trailed 28-10 at half-time.
Former England wing Joe Cokanasiga's try just before the hour mark all but ensured that there would be no stirring comeback.
Further scores from scrum-half Ben Spencer, wings Harry Arundell and Cokanasiga again, and centre Max Ojomoh put the gloss on a stunning performance as Bath's Scottish fly-half Finn Russell kicked seven conversions.
Edinburgh remain second in Pool 2 but Munster, who host Castres on Saturday, Gloucester and Toulon, who meet in western England, could all move above the Scots before the end of the weekend.
Scrum dominance and fierce tryline defence helped the Bulls into a 12-7 lead on 31 minutes after tries from Celimpilo Gumede and Armand Akker Van der Merwe.
But Pau kept piling on the pressure and scores from Jimi Maximin and Youri Delhommel's second, either side of a yellow card for Bulls' lock Reinhardt Ludwig, sent them into the break leading 21-12.
A Thomas Souverbie penalty extended their lead but the match turned just before the hour mark.
Bulls showed their ability in broken play, running the ball from inside their 22 and using the pace of wing Cheswill Jooste to finish off an end-to-end try.
The South Africans sensed blood and after Pau prop Thomas Laclayat's sin-binning, Nizaam Carr barged over seven minutes from time with Handre Pollard converting to give the Bulls the lead.
Pau pushed late on for a winning score but gave away a penalty deep inside the Bulls 22 to end their hopes.
Bulls must now wait to see what Scarlets do away to last season's finalists Northampton on Sunday to find out if they are in the last 16, while Pau have been eliminated.
French giants Toulouse, the record five-time competition winners, must beat Sale on Sunday to ensure they make it into the knock-out stages while reigning champions Bordeaux-Begles travel to Bristol with top spot in Pool 4 up for grabs there.
W.Wouters--JdB
