For a moment it looked as though Skrela's final minute penalty was drifting wide of the posts and Bath would, after all, snatch victory after having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But the winners' gasp stuck in my throat as suddenly the ball deviated back towards the gaping hole between the sticks and we were doomed. A cracking kick pushed a stake painfully through the heart of everyone who supports Bath Rugby!

What, seconds earlier when the Bath pack was winding down the clock to close out the game, was going to be an evening of celebration throughout Blue, Black and White homes across the land, turned in to a few hours of torture as just about everyone cried "Why didn't they just hoof the ball downfield and away from our defensive area?".

Life is easy in hindsight and no doubt the final play would have taken a different form if the final act was known beforehand. If a stray Bath boot hadn't given an unexpected opportunity to Toulouse we'd have all been congratulating our boys for keeping it tight at the end and taking no chances. 

Sport shouldn't be about playing by numbers it should be about the unexpected: after all it's the unexpected that keeps us turning up in droves week in, week out and I'd rather lose a few games like this but watch riveting rugby than follow  team playing the percentages in every match.

Throughout this game Bath played the sort of high risk rugby that keeps everyone on their toes and it's exciting. Sometimes the risk pays dividends and sometimes it doesn't but boy, when they get it right, the thrill creates a euphoria that is normally reserved for drink and drugs! Bath started almost every attacking move with a run and pass and constantly sought gaps that could have sparked more scores. There were times when I thought a good hoof out of defence made most sense but it was as though Steve Meehan had handed out Barbarian shirts prior to the game.

Despite Toulouse attacking the Bath line on many occasions throughout the match I never felt overly threatened by their play. That Bath scored two tries and could have had another, when Butch James was pole-axed as he went for a 50:50 ball a few yards short of the opposition goal-line, says a great deal. As Steve Meehan commented after the game, "There were a few odd decisions out there, notably the one where Toulouse were given a defensive scrum in front of their own line after Butch James was taken out by Yannick Jauzion. He would have scored from that close in, and it might have affected the outcome. We'll have to have a close look at the incident later."

Despite this severe tackle Butch created the first try moments later by charging down a clearance kick a few yards from the Toulouse goal-line. This bloke is fast creating legendary status for himself as he influences everything on the pitch.

Mind you, this high-risk rugby approach does require a sympathetic referee and laws that support positive rather than negative play. If we are to win anything this year with this brand of rugby we have to sort out our horrendous penalty count because all we do is hand back an initiative that's been achieved with vision, guile and speed of mind, hand an foot.

Claassens, James and Berne played exceptionally well together and Lipman, Mears and Stevens were part of every attacking move. Our lineout still needs sorting as we are missing too many of our own throws.

I'm disappointed that we lost but I'm thrilled by the direction in which we are heading.

Allez Bath!!!

Toulouse: Medard, Donguy, Kunavore, Jauzion, Heymans, Skrela, Kelleher; Poux, Servat, Lecouls, Pelous, Albacete, Bouilhou (capt), Dusautoir, Sowerby.
Replacements: Lacombe, Human, Millo-Chluski, Nyanga, Belie, Fritz, Ahotaeiloa.

Bath: Abendanon, Maddock, Crockett, Berne, Banahan, James, Claassens; Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Harrison, Short, Hooper, Lipman (capt), Faamatuainu.
Replacements: Dixon, Bell, Barnes, Scaysbrook, Bemand, Fuimaono, Stephenson.

Referee: George Clancy

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