Bath clinched a semi-final place in the Parker Pen Cup against either Saracens or Newcastle but they had to rely on an inspired second half performance to get there.

The west country side were trailing by just three points after the first leg of their quarter-final in Montauban last week and it looked as if they were heading for defeat at the interval when they trailed 15-6.

However former England international Mike Catt, who was on the bench for the first time in months following injury, turned the match his side's way in a devastating few minutes.

Montauban had gone into an 18-6 lead just after the start of the second half through tries by full-back Pierre Bondouy and centre Pierre-Henri Vermis plus two penalties and a conversion by Vermis.

Bath's only replies had been two penalties by outside-half Olly Barkley.

And even when Barkley added another penalty to make the score 18-9, the French were still 12 points ahead on aggregate.

But Catt came on just seconds after Bath full-back Iain Balshaw had gone off with a shoulder injury - a serious worry for England - and the mercurial Catt turned the game on his head. With his first touch of the ball he scored a try and then, in another big attack Catt set up number eight Nathan Thomas to run in unopposed.

Barkley added the conversion but in a breathtaking finale, with the points on aggregate level - as were the tries - and the game heading for extra time, Barkley sealed the match and the semi-final place.