Montpellier blitzed Bath with 22 straight second-half points to cap a rough opening Champions Cup weekend for English Premiership sides.
Montpellier turned the screw after the break and left Bath with nothing to answer, racking up 22 unanswered points in the second half to win their Champions Cup opener.
The result was the final blow in a frustrating opening weekend for English Premiership clubs in Europe's elite club rugby competition. Bath were the last of the Premiership sides in action, and their defeat completed a day that never went the league's way.
The second half decided it. Montpellier raised their tempo and tightened their grip on the contest, while Bath could not find a way to stop the French side's momentum or get themselves back on the scoreboard. Once the points began to flow, the match slipped away from the visitors.
It is early in the pool stage, but every result counts in a competition where margins decide who reaches the knockouts. Montpellier now have a strong start to build on, while Bath must regroup quickly and find the consistency that deserted them in the closing stages.
