Thomas du Toit’s impact shows why Bath are Champions Cup contenders – and this is their best chance

If there was an image to sum up the Investec Champions Cup knockout rounds, it came with the clock nearly three minutes into the red at a scorching Stade Felix-Mayol on Saturday afternoon. As Marcel Theunissen, the replacement back rower, picked and ploughed for the line, players from both the Stormers and Toulon threw their arms aloft like heavyweight fighters as each claimed victory; after a long deliberation in conjunction with his television match official, referee Christophe Ridley stuck with an on-field call of held up. Toulon just about held firm at the last against the Stormers (AFP via Getty Images) It sent the French side through, the South Africans away with plenty to ponder – why was there no drop goal?

Why, with a two-man advantage, did they keep things so narrow? – and the rest of us to marvel at how wonderful this competition can be. As detailed time and time again in these pages, this version of the Champions Cup is riddled with issues and a pale imitation of what it used to be but for the delivery of drama, and for an intensity of contest, it stands consistently above any club competition.

The round-of-16 winners may have been predictably home-side heavy but few would have felt short-changed in terms of entertainment. Certainly, those paying fair whack at The Rec would have still felt they received value for money. Bath’s 31-22 win over Saracens was a cracking, crackling cup tie – before the game, the matchday announcer found a travelling family of Norwegian tourists for whom this was a first taste of rugby union.

They will surely spread the gospel; perhaps we can expert more visitors over from Oslo once James Dyson and Bruce Craig build their new stadium. Henry Arundell helped Bath into the Champions Cup quarter-finals (PA Wire) One should not under-estimate the significance of Saturday’s success for Bath. Before the game, a few fans were guilty of overlooking the challenge that Saracens would pose, talking already of the prospect of Northampton, victors against Castres on Friday night, in a quarter-final to come.