JOHN Connolly saw Bath step uncomfortably into the quarter-finals of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and then admitted: ''We have tailed off a bit at the moment.''

Pushover tries from man-of-the-match Andy Beattie and late substitute Scott Gray ended Colomiers' brave second-leg challenge and booked a last eight meeting this weekend with Beziers.

But Australian head coach Connolly, who will weigh up whether to sign released Wasps' ace Paul Sampson in the next fortnight, admitted his injury-ravaged side had been below par.

''We're happy with the win but we made it tough for ourselves,'' said the former Queensland chief.

''We created a lot of opportunities, but we didn't take them.

"I think it was a game we were thinking we had already won.''

He added: ''You have to build phases against French sides and we did not do that.

"We got behind them on at least four occasions, but we were pushing the last pass.

''We wanted to make sure we had two games before the big Wasps game (in the league) next month.

"We've tailed off, but form does that over a nine-month season.''

Bath yet again relied on the metronomic kicking of Olly Barkley, whose penalties always seemed to keep the gallant French side at arm's length.

Yet Colomiers, whose coach Jean-Luc Sadourny had acclaimed last weekend's first-leg 32-25 defeat in France as their best performance for months, arguably watched his side improve on that with a superb defensive effort.

Any old doubts about the French being poor travellers were swept away by half-time as the visitors led.

The first half-hour was a largely scrappy affair, although Bath squeezed in front through two Barkley kicks to one from Colomiers fly-half Jean Dubois.

Then, just as the hosts looked to have grasped the initiative, they were hit by the classic sucker punch.

Kevin Maggs surged through centre field, but Bath made a mess of the second phase and, as the ball went to ground, scrum-half Anthony Sallecanne hacked on twice for wing Yannick Larguet to win the 80-yard race to the touchdown.

The conversion was wide but, although Barkley briefly put Bath back in front with his third kick, Dubois' second gave Colomiers, who were down to 14 men after the sin-binning of hooker Thibaut Algret, a two-point lead and five-point aggregate deficit going into the final 40 minutes.

Having hammered away unsuccessfully out wide, Bath resorted to the old-fashioned forward rumble to finally open their try account.

Within two minutes of the restart, they worked their way up to their opponents' line and Beattie was shunted over by his pack for a converted score.

Barkley and Dubois then exchanged penalties, but visiting skipper Dubois kept Colomiers in with a shout with his fourth success just before the hour.

All their work was defensive however, and in injury-time, Gray was pushed over in a similar vein to Beattie and Barkley converted to confirm Bath's progress.

Bath: Danielli, Higgins, Crockett, Maggs, Blake, Barkley, Wood, Flatman (Barnes 56), Humphreys (Mears 52), Bell (Stevens 60), Fidler, Grewcock (capt), Beattie (Gray 80), Lipman (Scaysbrook 80), Feaunati. Subs not used: Martens, Malone.

Colomiers: Thiery (Giannantonio 45), Larguet, Cassin, Grandclaude, Sid (Viard 52), Dubois (capt), Sallecanne (Culinat 40), Forestier, Algret (Laurent 53), Cheron (Tomuli 53), Albacete, Lorenzie (Rolland 64), Magendie (Laurent 40-44, temporary) (Bohn 66), Dusautoir, Ntamack.

Referee: Olan Trevor (Ireland)

Attendance: 9,980

Yellow cards: Colomiers: Algret, 40 mins, killing possession; Forestier, 80 mins, killing possession.