La Rochelle held off a second-half fightback by Bath in the Somerset mist on Friday to win their opening  Champions Cup pool game 24-20.

Both sides had trouble holding onto the ball in the rainy, windy English south west country.

"The conditions changed the game in terms of getting the ball wide in this wind. You have to play to conditions," La Rochelle scrum half Tawera Kerr-Barlow told broadcaster Premier Sports.

"Bath wrestled back the momentum and we were really fortunate to hold on at the end."

La Rochelle, competition winners in 2022 and 2023, dominated the first half and their forwards turned pressure into tries.

Flanker Oscar Jegou barged over for the first after a ruck close to the Bath line. Prop Reda Wardi touched down after La Rochelle mauled the home pack backwards from a lineout. Kerr-Barlow scampered over following a lineout close to the line after 31 minutes.

Bath's pack responded after 47 minutes when they drove La Rochelle back in a maul and hooker Tom Dunn touched down.

The English league leaders cut the gap to one point afer Guy Pepper hacked through, Tawera Barlow was among players who dived and failed to gather the slippery ball. Bath lock  Quinn Roux finally managed to get a hand on it behind the line after 56 minutes.

Ihaia West booted a penalty to take his tally to nine points and put La Rochelle four points up with 22 minutes left.

Bath pressed but struggled to hold on to the slippery ball.

"I liked how we stayed calm and didn't chase it," said Bath captain Charlie Ewels. "We had opportunities to then win the game but we didn't take those chances."

pb/nr