Match Centre: Champions Cup: Toulouse 31-19 Bath

Toulouse 31-19 Bath, Pool 2, Stade Ernest Wallon

Toulouse have confirmed the top spot in Pool 2 as they defeated Bath Rugby 31-19 in the final group stage of the Investec Champions Cup at Stade Ernest Wallon on Sunday.

Toulouse now have four wins from as many games as they will be hosting Racing 92 in the knock out game while Bath will face Premiership rivals Exeter Chiefs.

The French side made a strong start to the game as Emmanuel Meafou went over the line in the 5th minute and Thomas Ramos collecting a quick work from Antonie Dupont followed the suit in the 10th minute. Ramos kicked the conversion on his own try as Toulouse raced to a 12-0 lead.

Bath responded back in the 13th minute as Beno Obano scored at the back of a maul and Thomas du Toit followed the suit in the 22nd minute as the scores were levelled. Around the half hour mark, Bath suffered a setback as they lost Charlie Ewels to sin-bin that also resulted in a penalty try for Toulouse.

Ramos had a chance to extend the lead but his penalty drifted wide in the 31st minute before Bath staged a comeback at the stroke of half time with Ollie Lawrence stretching full at the back of a line out to dot down and Ben Spencer's conversion meant the scores were levelled 19-19 at the end of the opening half.

Both the teams were desperate for a breakthrough in the second half and it did not come until the 67th minute when Ramos sent wide pass for Juan Cruz Mallia to score but the conversion went wide making it 24-19. With no further response from Bath, Ramos took the hosts seven points clear with his converted try in the closing stage to finished the group stage unbeaten.

Team line up:

Toulouse: Kinghorn; Mallia, Delibes, Ahki, Lebel; Ramos, Dupont (capt); Baille, Mauvaka, Aldegheri, Arnold, Meafou, Cros, Willis, Jelonch.

Reserves: Marchand, Ainu'u, Laulala, Brennan, Placines, Retiere, Guitoune, Capuozzo.

Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Lawrence, Muir; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Annett, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Cloete, Reid.

Reserves: Faiva, Schoeman, Stuart, Stooke, Richards, Schreuder, Bailey, Redpath.