Guinness Premiership leaders Bath suffered a heart-breaking last-minute Heineken Cup defeat at the hands of giants Toulouse despite outscoring the French champions two tries to none.

The home side had a three-point edge at half-time in south-west France, leading by two penalties from David Skrela to one from Butch James, with both fly-halves missing once in a hugely physical contest in which try-scoring chances were at a premium.

Skrela extended Toulouse's lead with a penalty three minutes into the second half but Bath hit back with the first try of the game - a 48th-minute touchdown from Michael Claassens after skipper Michael Lipman charged down Byron Kelleher's attempted clearance.

The French number 10 put over two second-half penalties with James landing one to set up a grandstand finish, and Bath looked to have claimed a famous win when Nick Abendanon scored an unconverted try with three minutes to go.

But Bath were unable to hold on and Skrela eased Toulouse to a narrow two-point victory with the last kick of the game, clipping over a penalty.

Bath head coach Steve Meehan recalled prolific try-scoring wing Matt Banahan and went with Shaun Berne at inside centre alongside Springbok James to give his side a two-pronged kicking game.

In the forwards, David Flatman was preferred at loosehead to David Barnes in a powerful Bath front eight tasked with taking on Toulouse's slightly heavier pack in the set-pieces.

The home side fielded former All Black scrum-half Kelleher, bringing him back ahead of schedule from an injury lay-off in something of a gamble owing to the absence of half-back lynchpin Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

And flying wing Vincent Clerc was another notable absentee from the Toulouse starting line-up.

Bath started the contest well, pinning Toulouse back inside their own half, but it took 12 minutes for the early pressure to pay off, James kicking a 40-metre penalty to give them a 3-0 lead.

Skrela missed a chance to wipe that out two minutes later from 25 metres out, seeing his kick come back off the right-hand upright.

But the former Stade Francais fly-half made no mistake in the 16th minute, wiping out Bath's early advantage from just outside the 22.

Abendanon came into the Bath line at pace in the 21st minute and set up a concerted attack which saw a Skrela clearance charged down.

But Bath were unable to capitalise with Joe Maddock running into traffic and Toulouse were let off the hook when the forwards went over the top, conceding a penalty.

The visitors' defence had to dig in when Skrela threaded a kick into the corner and Lee Mears' throw-in missed his target, Michael Lipman taking down Kelleher and Peter Short tackling William Servat as Toulouse piled on the pressure.

Bath let a great scoring chance go begging on the half-hour, Banahan's power getting the visitors to within 10 metres before Jonny Faamatuainu threw a pass which was almost intercepted by Yves Donguy, killing the move off when the Toulouse wing knocked on.

James was given a crack at goal in the final minute of the first half when Dunguy was penalised for a late tackle on Justin Harrison, but James pushed his kick wide of the target from 35 metres out on the left.

Bath started the second half with David Barnes on for Flatman at loosehead, but Toulouse came out firing at the start of the second half.

Skrela took advantage of that to extend Toulouse's lead to 9-3 in the 43rd minute when Bath went over the top at a ruck five metres from their own line.

Bath then missed out on a try when Jauzion took James, who had pinned Toulouse back in the corner, with a high tackle two metres short of the line after Servat overthrew his catchers.

Jauzion somehow escaped unpunished, but Bath got the first try of the afternoon when Kelleher's clearance kick was charged down by Lipman and Claassens pounced to score.

James missed the conversion but the Toulouse lead had been shaved to one point.

Mears sparked a Bath break in the 55th minute, bursting over halfway before releasing Faamatuainu, who got into the Toulouse 22 before he was hauled down.

James was well wide with a 40-metre drop-goal shot in the 56th minute as Bath looked to get their noses in front.

But Skrela kicked Toulouse into a 12-8 lead in the 59th minute after Stevens was caught using his hands in a ruck.

Bath's response was a break from deep which saw Maddock get within 10 metres of the Toulouse line, and James responded superbly to cut the home side's lead back to a solitary point again.

Skrela missed a chance to stretch his side's cushion back to four points in the 68th minute, pushing a penalty wide to the left, but he made no mistake with another penalty with 10 minutes to go.

But Bath hit back with a second try in the 77th minute to snatch a one-point lead, Abendanon touching down after Bath ignored a goal-kicking chance and opted to launch a late attack.

James missed the conversion, but Bath had a one-point lead with two minutes to play and they made it clear they intended to try to run the clock down for a memorable victory.

But Bath conceded one penalty too many and Skrela sent the home fans into relieved delirium with the final kick of the match.