Pressure on Bath after defeat to Stade

STEVE MEEHAN admits it will take “a really good effort” for Bath to reach this season’s Heineken Cup quarter-finals following their shattering defeat against French giants Stade Francais.

Julien Dupuy returned to haunt Bath for the second campaign in a row as Stade stole a dramatic 29-27 Recreation Ground victory. The scrum-half’s seventh penalty a minute from time condemned Bath to their second successive Pool Four defeat.

No team has ever reached the Heineken quarter-finals after losing their opening two group games, but that is the colossal challenge now facing Bath.