Bath suffer Champions Cup defeat in Toulon

Investec Champions Cup Pool Two

Toulon (18) 45

Tries: Alainu'uese, Brex, Drean, Ludlam, Baubigny Cons: Garcia 4 Pens: Garcia 4

Bath (13) 34

Tries: Hill, Carreras, Green, Hennessey Cons: Russell 4 Pens: Russell 2

English champions Bath battled hard but fell to a 45-34 defeat by Toulon in a compelling Champions Cup contest at Stade Mayol.

Second-half tries from Gael Drean and former England back row Lewis Ludlam helped the hosts take a 38-27 lead with under 10 minutes to play.

Louie Hennessey ran a superb line to take Max Ojomoh's pass and race over to give Bath hope, but the French side drove Teddy Baubigny over in the corner in stoppage time for a fifth try that denied Bath a losing bonus point.

Bath, who trailed 18-13 at half-time, did secure a try bonus point which means they go top of Pool Two with six points from two matches.

More soon.

Toulon: Ferte; Drean, Brex, Sinzelle, Tuicuvu; Garcia, Serin; Gros, Lucchesi, Sinckler, Rebbadj, Alainu'uese, Ludlam, Ollivon, Mercer.

Replacements: Baubigny, Ametlla, Priso, Mezou, Abadie, White, Smaili, Karaba.

Bath: Carreras; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Arundell; Russell Carr-Smith; Obano, Dunn, Sela, Roux, Molony, Hill, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Richards, Reid, Le Roux, Hennessey, Green.

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Assistant referees: Saba Abulashvili (Georgia) and Saba Makharadze (Georgia)

TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)