Bath Rugby picked up their first win in the Champions Cup this season to keep their hopes of qualification for the last 16 knockout rounds alive into the last weekend of group stage games as they moved third in Pool 2 with a 40-21 win at home against ASM Clermont Auvergne on Sunday.

The Blue Black and White look likely to have done just enough to advance heading to Leinster next weekend, but will need results elsewhere to go their way still having lost to La Rochelle and Benetton before Christmas to narrow their route to the promised land. Bath could well need at least a point from a testing Pool Two finale against Leinster in Dublin next Saturday to stay on course for one of three remaining qualifying places alongside the Irish heavyweights.

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Clermont, La Rochelle, Bristol Bears and Benetton also remain in the mix, yet Bath made it an initial job done by claiming the five-point maximum they required through prop Thomas du Toit’s try double, plus touchdowns for fly-half Finn Russell, full-back Tom de Glanville, wing Joe Cokanasiga and centre Ollie Lawrence. The victory against Clermont was made all the easier when prop Giorgi Akhaladze was sent off for a high tackle on Max Ojomoh 25-minutes in.

Russell added five conversions but Clermont, despite being a player down for almost an hour, kept plugging away and were rewarded with tries from Folau Fainga’a, Anthony Belleau and Peceli Yato, while Belleau slotted three conversions. They now host Bristol on the last weekend of pool action, with Benetton having home advantage against La Rochelle.

Bath knew the pressure was on, but they showed no sign of nerves as they raced ahead after just 105 seconds. Centre Max Ojomoh scythed his way through Clermont’s midfield, and when possession was moved wide, De Glanville finished impressively, with Russell converting for a 7-0 lead.

Clermont could not get a foothold in the game, and they fell further behind in the seventh minute when sustained pressure driven by Bath’s forwards gained the finish it deserved as Russell stepped over from close range and then added the conversion. There was no let-up in the scoring, and three-time Champions Cup finalists Clermont halved the hosts’ advantage midway through the opening quarter when Fainga’a breached Bath’s defence, with Belleau converting.

England head coach Steve Borthwick, who announces his Six Nations squad on Tuesday, looked on as Clermont fought back strongly, but the visitors suffered a huge blow 15 minutes before half-time. Referee Mike Adamson assessed video replays before deciding that Akhaladze’s high, swinging arm hit on Ojomoh warranted a red card, leaving the visitors in considerable strife.

Their problems were highlighted from Bath’s next attack that Russell launched through an inch-perfect kick that Ojomoh caught at full speed before delivering a scoring pass to Cokanasiga. Russell’s conversion made it 21-7, yet Clermont had no intention of subsiding, and they gave themselves hope just before the interval when Belleau scored a try that he also converted, making it a seven-point game once more.

Bath had taken their foot off the pedal, and Belleau broke away touch touch down within two minutes of the restart, but it was disallowed following a knock-on in build-up play. The home side needed fresh impetus, and it arrived midway through the third quarter from Du Toit after Bath’s pack hammered away in sight of Clermont’s line.

Russell’s conversion of a bonus-point try gave breathing space, then Du Toit added his second score in five minutes before Yato crossed for Clermont and Belleau converted. Clermont showed impressive resilience, given Bath’s numerical advantage, yet they were undone again eight minutes from time through a Lawrence score that Russell converted.

Bath Rugby: 15. Tom de Glanville, 14. Joe Cokanasiga, 13. Ollie Lawrence, 12. Max Ojomoh, 11. Ruaridh McConnochie, 10. Finn Russell, 9. Ben Spencer (c), 1. Beno Obano, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Thomas du Toit, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Charlie Ewels, 6. Ted Hill, 7. Miles Reid, 8. Alfie Barbeary

Replacements: 16. Niall Annett, 17. Francois van Wyk, 18. Will Stuart, 19. Ross Molony, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. Louis Schreuder, 22. Orlando Bailey, 23. Ethan Staddon

ASM Clermont Auvergne : 15. Alex Newsome, 14. Bautista Delguy, 13. Pierre Fouyssac, 12. Irae Simone, 11. Lucas Tauzin, 10. Anthony Belleau, 9. Baptiste Jauneau, 1. Giorgi Akhaladze, 2. Folau Fainga'a, 3. Regis Montagne, 4. Rob Simmons, 5. Peceli Yato, 6. Killian Tixeront, 7. Marcos Kremer, 8. Fritz Lee (c)

Replacements: 16. Etienne Fourcade, 17. Sacha Lotrian, 18. Michael Ala'alatoa, 19. Thomas Ceyte, 20. Oskar Rixen, 21. Sebastien Bezy, 22. Theo Giral, 23. Alivereti Raka

Referee: Chris Busby (Ire)

Assistant referees: Andrew Cole (Ire) and Andrew Fogarty (Ire)

TMO: Mark Patton (Ire)