January 31 2008 marks the tenth anniversary of Bath Rugby's Heineken Cup triumph - an experience winning outside half of the day John Callard describes as "simply the best."
In 1998 Bath beat Brive by a single point to become the first English champions of Europe, in front of 36,500 fans in France at the Stade Lescure.
Callard scored all the points that day, thanks to four penalties and a converted try and, speaking in 2005, recalled the experience.
"People talked about conquering Europe before we went professional, it was a target that no-on ever has the opportunity to achieve," he said.
Click for the match report
"When the game went professional and the Heineken Cup was started, then winning that trophy was certainly everybody's goal.
"To win the Heineken Cup takes a special type. Cup games are battle within battles."
Bath and Brive had met twice in Pool C that year, and honours were even with one win each.
But the final was a nail biting match that was marked by incredible tension, in the end it was the English aristocrats that won out, wrestling the European crown from the defending champions 19-18.
And the team lead by Andy Nicol broke the French hold on the Heineken Cup in a final that can only be summed up in one word - dramatic.
No script writer would have dared pen an ending to a match that was ultimately served up and that literally had the capacity crowd on the edge of their seats. It was pure theatre.
Click here for a photogallery of the day
Early in the second half, and nine points adrift, Bath appeared to be on the ropes - with Brive poised to provide the killer punch as they camped on the Bath line with a succession of scrums.
Seven times the 1997 Heineken Cup winners tried to break Bath and seven times Bath refused to buckle. The psychological battle was won and lost in those few power-packed minutes.
Callard recalls: "I think the defining moment of the match was when we were awarded a penalty after about six or seven scrums on our line - we could have conceded a try, but our pack were awesome."
But if that settled the mind game, the match still had to be won on the scoreboard and, although Bath left it desperately late - 80 seconds into injury time - full back Jon Callard clinched it with his fourth penalty goal.
That was the one and only time Bath were ahead, Brive centre Christophe Lamaison kicking five first half penalty goals and full back Alain Penaud adding a drop goal in the 65th minute.
Lamaison had one final penalty goal chance to keep the cup in France but was wide to the right and then fly half Lisandro Arbizu watched in despair as his attempted drop goal also failed to find the target.
Callard summed up the feelings of the thousands of Bath fans who made the trip to France, "As an achievement with the club, it's simply the best."
