This weekend did not start well for the travelling squad of Montpellier, firstly the plane was 2 hours late arriving and therefore they were not able to have the usual training session on arrival to run the journey out of their legs, as it was already dark and the ground was closed, secondly the hotel although the Hilton was very noisy and difficult for the boys to get a decent nights rest, non of this was advantageous for a good start Sunday afternoon at The Rec against Bath.

The supporters turned out for this 2nd  H Cup pool game and the Rec was full, just under their 12,000 capacity, with a French Brass band to electrify the atmosphere a little more, even the speaker who introduced Montpellier had made the journey from the South of France.

The game started with Bath running the show and using a passing game that put Montpellier under enormous pressure, after an early penalty by Steve Donald, the very same threw a long ball out to Woodburn who went in near the corner, the conversion was missed Bath 8 MHR 0. After only 18 mins Steve Donald intercepted a pass from Francois Trinh-Duc in his own 22, ran the length of the park only to be tackled inches short of the line by Bustos-Moyano who did very well to get back, the resulting maul left no opposition from Montpellier and the Bath prop David Flatman pirouetted over the line with nobody within 20yards of him his first try for 9 years. Martin Bustos- Moyano did manage a penalty, but that was cancelled out by another from Donald, at half time the score Bath 16 MHR 3.

The second half was a totally different Montpellier, they came out all guns blazing, up front the pack massacred the Bath front 5 and all of a sudden the game started to turn in favour of the visitors. Francois Trinh-Duc finally woke up and got things moving from a ruck he spun the ball out to Thibault Privat who gave Bustos-Moyano a pass that looked a little forward but went unnoticed by referee Allan Rolland and the Argentinean ran in Montpellier’s only try of the game which he converted himself, 5 mins later the very same added another penalty and Montpellier were back in the game at 16-13, with 27 mins left on the clock.

They battered their way at the Bath try line but could find no way through a silly knock on or a forward pass let them down more than once, and although they tried their very best Montpellier could score no more points and on 8O mins. Bath was pleased and very grateful to gather another knock on by Montpellier and boot the ball cleanly out of the park to win the game.

Montpellier are on a learning curve, first present H Cup holders Leinster last week and then Bath who won the H CUP in 1998 are formidable opponents for the new boys on the block, but with every match Montpellier are gaining enormous experience which will pay off for the return games in the TOP 14 and the rest of the H Cup games. Their efforts have to last 80 mins which they managed to do against Leinster but not against Bath resulting in a loss which could easily have been a victory.

On a more encouraging note the Midi Olymipique Oscars for the season 2010/11 has been announced and Montpellier are well and truly in the fore front with 3 notations.

 

Oscar d’Or: Vincent Clerc (Stade toulousain)

Oscar d’Argent: Julien Bonnaire (Clermont)

Oscar de Bronze: Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier)

Oscar du meilleur staff: Galthié-Béchu-Bès (Montpellier)

Oscar du meilleur étranger: Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier)

Oscar monde: Thierry Dusautoir (France)

Oscar meilleur entraîneur monde: Graham Henry (Nouvelle-Zélande).

 

Steve Whittell.