Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Springbok Pollard helps Montpellier beat Bath to reach European Challenge Cup final against Leicester

By PA

Montpellier booked a European Challenge Cup final appointment with Leicester after ending Bath’s hopes of silverware with a 19-10 victory at the Recreation Ground.

ADVERTISEMENT

British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who names his South Africa tour squad next Thursday, looked on as Bath strived to make it an all-English Twickenham final on May 21.

But Montpellier gatecrashed the party, with flanker Yacouba Camara scoring a try and scrum-half Benoit Paillaugue kicking a conversion and three penalties, before Handre Pollard booted an 80th-minute penalty.

Video Spacer

Jake White on the prospect of SA teams playing in Europe

Video Spacer

Jake White on the prospect of SA teams playing in Europe

Bath started brightly, given a flying start by hooker Tom Dunn’s fourth-minute try, while scrum-half Ben Spencer added a conversion and penalty, yet a number of lost lineouts on their own throw undermined victory hopes.

Montpellier, Challenge Cup winners in 2016, were often threatened by Bath and England star Anthony Watson’s strong running – he will undoubtedly have impressed Gatland – but they had enough control up-front to prevail.

Wing Will Muir made his European debut for Bath, while flanker Sam Underhill clocked up 50 first team appearances, Wales international Taulupe Faletau returned to the back-row and Ben Spencer was recalled at scrum-half.

Montpellier, looking to put their French league struggles this season behind them, were led by former France captain Guilhem Guirado, while a powerful replacements’ bench featured three South Africa World Cup winners in Bismarck du Plessis, Cobus Reinach and Pollard.

ADVERTISEMENT

But Bath made an immediate statement of intent, taking a fourth-minute lead after outstanding work by their forwards set up a platform for Dunn to crash over from close range.

Spencer converted, and Bath continued to hold the upper hand, with Montpellier-bound Mercer proving particularly lively in open play.

Centre Johan Goosen sent a long-range penalty chance well wide as Montpellier looked for a foothold in the contest, and Paillaugue opened their account through a 20th-minute penalty.

Although the scrum-half missed another penalty opportunity shortly afterwards, he was then heavily involved as Montpellier claimed an opening try.

ADVERTISEMENT

Paillaugue’s clever kick into space was gathered by Montpellier wing Vincent Rattez, and his inside pass found Camara, who sprinted clear for a fine score that Paillaugue converted.

Former Saracens fly-half Alex Lozowski was key to the visitors’ impressive attacking shape, but Bath quickly regrouped and a Spencer penalty tied things up after 27 minutes.

But with Bath’s misfiring lineout proving problematic, Montpellier continued to grow in confidence as two more Paillaugue penalties during a dominant six-minute spell gave their opponents plenty of food for thought.

And Montpellier comfortably preserved that advantage heading into half-time, proving good value for their lead.

The French side exerted more control immediately after the break, yet they could not turn it into points this time around as a short-range Paillaugue penalty glanced off the post.

It was exactly the kind of reprieve that Bath needed, and they reacted by surging upfield, with early second-half substitutes Jack Walker and Miles Reid – who replaced Lions hopeful Underhill – making a positive impact.

Montpellier had prop Enzo Forletta sin-binned following his team’s repeated infringing, yet Bath could no find way through.

The home side grew increasingly anxious as the clock ticked down, but with Montpellier sending on plenty of experience from the bench, they had sufficient strength to keep Bath at bay and set up an intriguing battle with Leicester.

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

34 Go to comments
j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Luke Cowan-Dickie: 'I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was going to pass out. Everything was going black in front of me' Luke Cowan-Dickie: 'I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was going to pass out. Everything was going black in front of me'
Search