Advertisement
Treble chasing Bath visit Pau on Friday night in the Challenge Cup round of 16.
Treble chasing Bath visit Pau on Friday night in the Challenge Cup round of 16.
Bath missed out on qualification for the Champions Cup knockout stages after finishing fifth in Pool 2, settling for the second-tier competition.
However, it's a tournament supporters have a special connection with given their triumph in 2007/08, which ended a 10-year long wait for silverware.
Pau have also won the tournament - back in 2000 - and finished third in Pool 2. The French side are ninth in the Top 14, while Bath are 10 points clear at the top of the Premiership, meaning they are firm favourites despite being the visitors.
Desperes leads the way
Pau fly-half Axel Desperes has scored more points than any other player in the competition so far (52), while also making the most total kicks (45) and the joint most retained (7).
The hosts have won the most scrums (29) and the second most scrum penalties with eight. Their scrum success rate is an impressive 96.7%, which ranks third in the tournament.
Bath's Finn Russell was in fine form off the tee in the Champions Cup pool stages, possessing the joint-best goal kick success rate of 93.8%.
The West Countrymen have proven fast starters in Europe, scoring the second most points (31) in the opening 10 minutes.
Previous meeting
Bath have won the last two meetings with a 25-22 victory at the Stade du Hameauc in 2016, followed by a 69-10 demolition at the Rec a year later.