High-profile convert Sam Burgess made his full Bath debut on Friday as his side kept their European Champions Cup hopes alive with a bonus point 32-12 win over struggling Montpellier.
The win moved Bath to within two points of Pool 4 leaders Toulouse although the French giants have a game in hand and they can go seven points clear if they beat Glasgow with a bonus point on Saturday.
Burgess set up the first of his team's four tries at their Recreation Ground home but it was winger Matt Banahan who stole the headlines with a hat-trick.
George Ford's boot gave the English side a 17-0 lead after just 14 minutes and it took Montpellier until the 62nd minute to get on the scoreboard through a try from No8 Alex Tulou.
Replacement prop Mickael Ivaldi added another try for Montpellier before Horacio Agulla grabbed a fourth score for Bath in the dying minutes, diving in under the posts for the crucial bonus point.
Bath had won the first meeting between the two sides 30-5 in France last week and with Montpellier now having lost seven games in succession, there will be more questions raised over the future of embattled coach Fabien Galthie.
"We started well and had lots of chances to pick them off," said Bath coach Mike Ford.
"We got the bonus point which is what we wanted."
Source: AFP