Dupuy pulls plug on Bath

Julien Dupuy was Bath's nemesis for the second time in as many seasons in the Heineken Cup as Stade Francais clinched a last-gasp 29-27 win at The Rec.

Last year it was in a Leicester shirt that the scrum-half scored a late, late try to claim victory in the dying seconds of a cracking quarter-final.

This time, dressed in pink, it was the French international's boot that shattered Bath hearts, with a long range penalty putting his side two points in front with 30 seconds left on the clock.

Bath, however, only have themselves to blame after squandering a 12-point lead to allow their French rivals back into the match.

Firm control

The hosts bossed much of the game putting themselves firmly in control with first-half tries in quick succession from Nicky Little and Matt Carraro.

But ill-discipline, coupled with the tenacity of their French rivals, saw their advantage gradually erode away and eventually nullified by seven penalties from Dupuy.

Stade fly-half Lionel Beauxis put the first points on the board with a magnificent drop goal from 50 metres out to give Stade a 3-0 lead in the seventh minute.

Beauxis also had a hand in the next points, only this time it was in Bath's favour when his mistake led to a simple penalty in front of the posts for opposite number Little.

Dupuy regained Stade's lead, striking a 32-metre penalty after 18 minutes. But Bath replied almost immediately with a well worked try created and finished by Little, who jinked through the Stade defence from a flat angle to score.

The Fijian stand-off missed the conversion from wide on the left, leaving the score on 8-6 but he was bang on target from across the pitch just five minutes later after a fantastic move started by Matt Banahan brought Bath their second try.

The giant winger, a constant thorn in the visitors' side, sucked in the Stade defence before whipping a stinger of a pass to Carraro in space on the right.

The Aussie wing skipped down the touchline before ducking inside to touch down with an outstretched arm as he was tackled just in front of the line.

Dupuy closed the gap to six with a penalty on 27 minutes but by the half hour mark Little had cancelled those three points out before extending Bath's lead to 21-9 with another precise kick.

Dupuy's boot made it 21-12 at the break and Stade came out forcefully at the start of the second period, although it was the hosts who drew first blood when Pascal Pape was sin-binned.

Little punished the visitors from a difficult angle only for Dupuy to reply for Stade in the 48th minute.

Banahan yellow

Then, as Stade prepared for the return of Pape, Banahan found himself on the end of a harsh yellow card for a hit on Mirco Bergamasco. Dupuy did not hesitate to close the gap to 24-18.

In the 68th minutes the number nine made it 24-21 but a sloppy challenge by James Haskell allowed Little to restore the six-point margin within minutes and take Bath into the last ten minutes leading 27-21.

With five minutes to go, though, Ollie Phillips took his side to within a point of victory, showing blistering pace to cross near the left corner when the ball was whipped down the line to the English winger.

Dupuy missed the tough conversion to set up a nail biting finish but was given a second chance to snatch victory soon after from bang in front.

He made the most of the opportunity to seal a stunning triumph for Stade, while Bath, the only side without a win in Pool Four, now face a mountain to climb if they are to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive.