Andrew Higgins scored two tries as Bath came back from 18-12 down at the interval to defeat Colomiers 32-25 in the first leg of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup second round match at Le Stade Selery.

Full-back Simon Danielli quickly settled any nerves in his new-found role with a chip and chase try after just five minutes, but Colomiers came back with a try from centre Jean Phillipe Viard to tie the scores.

A converted try from winger Julien Arias took the hosts into a seven-point lead before captain Jean-Frederic Dubois added a penalty in the 24th minute to stretch it to 15-5.

But Bath fought back when Martyn Wood charged down an attempted clearance to touch down.

Scrum-half Ross Blake, playing on the wing, gathered and fed to centre Alex Crockett who gave the scoring pass to Wood.

Olly Barkley added the touchline conversion, but Dubois added a second penalty to give the hosts a 18-12 half-time advantage.

Barkley landed a penalty after the break before Higgins scored his first, which Barkley converted before adding a second penalty.

Higgins crossed again, but Colomiers restored some hope for the trip to the Rec on Saturday with a late converted try.

n Gloucester boss Nigel Melville hailed England hopeful Henry Paul as a player for the big occasion.

England's opening Six Nations game against Italy in Rome is just five weeks away, and ex-rugby league star Paul has to be in the frame as Mike Tindall's midfield replacement.

Woodward watched from the portable Sky television studio at Kingsholm as Paul kicked 17 points and created a decisive try for wing and fellow England hopeful James Simpson-Daniel as Gloucester beat Munster 22-11 in the Heineken Cup.

Northampton are still on a quarter-final course in Pool Four, but Saints coach Wayne Smith was furious with the failure to secure a bonus point against rock-bottom Borders at Franklin's Gardens.

Saints won 20-3, with Darren Fox, Nick Beal and Oriol Ripol scoring tries, but they are four points behind group leaders Llanelli.

Gwent Dragons put the proverbial cat among the pigeons in Pool One by defeating French champions Stade Francais 20-12 in a bruising battle at Rodney Parade.

Leicester coach Dean Richards refused to accept that his side's Heineken Cup qualification hopes were over after losing 33-0 to Ulster at Ravenhill.

Celtic Warriors caused a Heineken Cup upset when they ended Wasps' two-month unbeaten run at the Causeway Stadium with a 14-9 win.