Forgotten Scot plays part as Finn Russell's Bath secure first Champions Cup semi final spot

A final score of 43-41 tells the story of a two evenly matched teams who were lethal in attack but often struggled in defence. However, it was all about the resilience of the hosts who refused to give up despite being behind from the second minute all the way to the 76th.

It was veteran South African prop Francois van Wyk who scored in the 38th minute, the eighth try of a breathtaking first half, to make sure that Bath only trailed 35-26 at the break having been down 35-14 at one point. Russell himself had crossed for a scrappy try earlier in the game and also kicked five out of six conversions and one penalty throughout the match.

Cam Redpath sends reminder to Gregor Townsend

Saints scored five first half tries but none in the second half while yellow cards for JJ van der Mescht and Henry Pollock only added to the pressure. Scotland centre Rory Hutchison put in a strong performance for Saints, easily one of their best players on the night, but his efforts ultimately counted for nothing as his team exited the competition.

The eventual winning try came in the 78th minute, with Pollock in the bin. Relentless pressure from the hosts finally paid off as replacement lock Ted Hill went in under the posts. That tied the score at 41-41 but Russell had a conversion that any player on the pitch likely could have kicked to nudge Bath in front.

There were also run outs for fellow Scots Elliot Millar-Mills, a second half replacement for Saints, and centre Cam Redpath who played the full 80 minutes for the winning team. Redpath’s start and subsequent display a reminder to national team head coach Gregor Townsend about his abilities with the 26-year old not having won a cap in over two years.

Redpath spoke to broadcasters Premier Sports after the match, saying: “We made it tough for ourselves in that first 20 minutes. We just didn't seem to start well, probably the nerves of everything.

“They're a brilliant side, they've got some brilliant individuals, and they're a very well-coached team. You can see they're very talented, so it was never going to be easy. They came out of the blocks really well but we just had to stay in it and not lose our heads, which we did really well.”

Bath will now play the winner of Bordeaux Bègles vs Toulouse in the semi finals. If the hosts win that game they will also be at home in the semis but if Blair Kinghorn’s Toulouse secure the victory then they will travel to England, specifically the Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.

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