Bath edge Leinster in European Champions Cup

Bath kicked off their European Rugby Champions Cup with a 19-16 Pool 5 victory over Leinster at the Recreation Ground.

The result leaves Leinster with a mountain to climb after they were beaten last week by Wasps at home and this is the first time in over 20 years that the three-time European champions have lost both of their opening matches.

The match was a tight affair with both sides trading kicks but George Ford held his nerve three minutes from time to seal the victory.

Ford’s kick was his fourth successive kick of the game and came just moments after Johnny Sexton had missed a difficult 55-metre penalty for Leinster which fell just short with the match level at 16-16.

Bath, whose opening game in the tournament in Toulon was called off last week in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks, and their Irish visitors were level at 9-9 deep into the second half.

But Bath edged ahead on the hour through a penalty try awarded by French referee Jerome Gacres as Leinster’s scrum continued to buckle.

Ford popped over the extras before replacement Josh Van Der Flier went over for Leinster just two minutes after coming onto the pitch.

Ford had the last word with his 14-point haul to condemn Leinster to their first back-to-back opening losses in Europe in two decades.

The victory was also sweet revenge for Bath after they had lost 18-15 to the powerful Irish side in last season’s quarter-finals.

Bath’s match last week was postponed due to the attacks in Paris so this was their first match of the season.

Final Score Bath 19 (6) Leinster 16 (3)

Scorers

Bath
Tries – penalty
Pen – Ford
Con – Ford 3
Drop – Ford

Leinster
Tries – Van Der Flier
Pen – Sexton 3
Con – Sexton
Drop –

Match Officials
Referee: Jerome Garces (France),
Assistant ref: Salam Attalah (France),
Assistant ref: Laurent Millotte (France),
TMO: Bruno Bessot (France),
Citing Commissioner: Yves Thieffine (France)

Teams

Bath Rugby: Anthony Watson; Semesa Rokoduguni, Ollie Devoto, Kyle Eastmond, Matt Banahan; George Ford, Chris Cook; Nick Auterac, Rob Webber, Henry Thomas, Dom Day, David Attwood, Matt Garvey, Francois Louw (c), Leroy Houston

Replacements: Ross Batty, Nathan Catt, Max Lahiff, Stuart Hooper, Alafoti Fa’osiliva, Niko Matawalu, Rhys Priestland, Tom Homer

Leinster Rugby: Isa Nacewa (c); Fergus McFadden, Ben Te’o, Luke Fitzgerald, Dave Kearney; Johnny Sexton, Isaac Boss; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Hayden Triggs, Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: James Tracy, Jack McGrath, Martin Moore, Dominic Ryan, Josh Van Der Flier, Luke McGrath, Ian Madigan, Zane Kirchner