i Was Seeing Stars - Fiddler

Bath Rugby will take a healthy 14-point advantage with them when they travel to the heart of France for the second leg of their Parker pen Challenge Cup semi-final.

The Recreation Ground rocked as the boys in Blue turned around a 12 point deficit to eventually win 29-15.

Man of the match Rob Fiddler said he was happy with the turnaround fortunes in the second half.

"If you had said before the game we could take a fourteen point advantage with us to Montferrand for the second leg then we would have taken it," he said.

"It's hard enough to play in France anyway, so to go there with a 14-point lead will make it a little bit easier.

"We had a lot of possession in the first, but we ourselves down too often on first and second phase. They were typically French in that they were very dangerous on the break and in open play. We were just off the game by one or two per cent and that made it very hard for us.

"We were coming back strongly in the second half, and the fact they were a man down after the sending off made it harder for them. There were a few choice words said to us by the coaches at half time, and to come back from that sort of deficit and turn it into a 14-point lead has made us pretty happy.

"We had the chance to kick for goal to get three more points at the end, but we knew in our hearts we needed to get more than that. That's why we went for the lineout and we got that final try.

Fidler took a blow to the head in the first half which threatened to put him out of the game at one stage. But he battled on until two minutes left of normal time when he was replaced by Scott Gray.

"I took a blow to the head. I saw flashing lights and thought we were being invaded," said Fiddler.

Montferrand hooker Richard Cockerill said: "Their tails got us when we a player sent off and we found ourselves on the back foot. There are going to be a few harsh words in training on Monday because our indiscipline was disgusting. They were struggling in the first half and at the start of the second we couldn't help ourselves with our indiscipline.

"The score flattered them a little bit and they can expect a warm welcome when they come to France for the second leg.

"We were 20-3 down against Newcastle in the quarter-final and we won the game. French players on French soil are a different prospect. We will have to play to score early to return and we've got the players to do that. We are a good side."