In a gripping Investec Champions Cup encounter at Stade Mayol, Toulon edged out Bath Rugby 45-34 in a high-scoring, nine-try spectacle. This result leaves every team in Pool Two with one win and one loss after two rounds, but thanks to a crucial bonus point, Bath remains top of the table with six points, while their rivals each have five.
The match kicked off with Finn Russell converting two penalties, punctuated by Brian Alainu’uese’s try, giving Toulon an early 7-6 lead. Mateo Garcia replied for the hosts with a penalty after a Bath ruck infringement, but Bath surged ahead when Ted Hill scored their first try. Garcia’s second penalty brought the game level at 13-13.
Toulon soon pulled ahead as Juan Ignacio Brex capitalised on a powerful run from Kyle Sinckler to score a try, and Garcia added a third penalty to extend their lead. Yet Bath fought back, with Russell’s clever delayed pass setting up Santi Carreras to score.
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Sinckler’s forceful runs continued to pose problems for Bath, enabling Gael Drean to dash in for another Toulon try and restore an eight-point buffer. Bath, undeterred, saw Arthur Green touch down to narrow the margin to just one point.
Toulon secured their try bonus point through Lewis Ludlam, but Bath hit back with Louie Hennessey capitalising on Max Ojomoh’s quick pass to close the gap to four. Ultimately, a final penalty and Teddy Baubigny’s try sealed a hard-fought victory for Toulon.