European Challenge Cup - James stars in Bath win

Eurosport - Fri, 07 Dec 22:04:00 2007

World Cup winner Butch James started earning his Bath salary with a one-man demolition job of French minnows Albi on Friday night.

RUGBY Bath Butch James - 0

The 26-times capped fly-half (pictured) is rumoured to have bagged a £250,000 annual deal with the club, and he kept the visitors in the game with his boot before clinching the points with a well-taken try in the 55th minute of the 26-18 victory.

James scored 21 of the 26 points, including six kicks from six shots at goal, as Bath virtually cemented their quarter-final place in the European Challenge Cup after only three of the six pool matches.

Albi fly-half Matthieu Maillard stunned Bath with a try in the seventh minute and two penalty goals, but James kept his cool to slot the goals - including the extras to a try from flanker Andy Beattie.

Home prop Jerome Filitoga was sin-binned in the 21st minute, and although Albi held firm during his 10-minute rest, they conceded Beattie's try as he ran back on to the field and James' professionalism did the rest.

Bath kept their cool during 15 phases on the Albi line, before James muscled his way over to seal a match-winning lead. Albi hit back with a try to replacement Frederic Manca, and although Bath may regret not going for the try bonus point, they seem in little danger of not winning the pool and earning a home quarter-final.

Bath's likely rivals in the competition's final four will almost surely include Sale Sharks, but fellow English side Newcastle's hopes took a hit as they slipped to a 16-13 loss to Connacht in Ireland.

Jonny Wilkinson converted Tom May's first-half try and added a couple of penalty goals in the opening hour, but the plucky Irish province kept in touch through a Conor O'Loughlin try and the boot of fly-half Andy Dunne.

Dunne dropped a goal to level the scores at 13-all, and kept his cool to kick a penalty goal in the dying minutes to seal a hard-fought victory. The Falcons are still odds-on to top the pool, but have crucial games against Brive and a return match against Connacht to come.

SportingLife / Eurosport