Nick Walshe muscled his way over for a crucial try as Bath won in France to
ensure a place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.
Brian Ashton's struggling Guinness Premiership side trailed Bourgoin 6-3 at
half-time, but tries from Walshe and backrower Michael Lipman took the English
side into a lead they never relinquished.
Bath's 13-point victory is the first time a visiting side have won at Stade
Pierre Rajon this season.
The win guarantees them a spot in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, whatever
happens in the match between Leinster and Glasgow in Dublin.
But Bath know a win over the Brian O'Driscoll-led Leinster side at the
Recreation Ground next weekend will ensure a home play-off match.
Bourgoin went into this match as huge outsiders to make the cup
quarter-finals, and they were facing a Bath side with 10 changes to that which
lost to Leeds Tykes in the Premiership last weekend.
Goal-kickers Alexandre Peclier and Olly Barkley swapped early penalties in the
first quarter as both sides sorted themselves out.
Peclier's second penalty goal in the 40th minute gave the home side a
hard-fought 6-3 lead at the break.
New Bath coach Ashton threw on England prop Matt Stevens at the start of the
second half, with fellow Test front-rower David Flatman lasting only 40 minutes
of his comeback from Achilles problems, but Peclier nudged his side further
ahead with his third penalty goal.
A piece of magic from scrum-half Walshe, who powered his way over the try-line
on the hour mark, took Bath to within a point of the French club and Barkley did
the rest to give his side the lead for the first time in the match.
Backrower Lipman crashed over for his side's second try, and Barkley's superb
sideline conversion gave Bath a playoff-sealing eight-point lead.
The Welsh duo of Gareth Delve and Tom Cheeseman secured Bath's third try.
Replacement backrower Delve - who looks odds-on for a spot in the Wales squad
next week - did all the hard work and offloaded to exciting young centre
Cheeseman for the score.
Bourgoin refused to give up, and their resistance prevented Bath securing a
try bonus point to cap off a superb night for the throng of visiting fans.
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