Stuart Hogg says Bath 'tough to stop' when Finn Russell 'on front foot' after Investec Champions Cup win over Ulster

Stuart Hogg believes that Bath are “very tough to stop” when Finn Russell plays “on the front foot” after Bath’s comeback win over Ulster.

Bath were six points down at half-time in the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday evening, but they rallied in the second period to secure a 37-14 victory.

Russell, their Scottish No. 10, was at the heart of the success and Hogg, himself a former Scotland international, praised his influence on the game.

“You can see when Finn Russell started to play on the front foot, everything became easier. When Bath are playing well and they’re in full flow, they’re very tough to stop,” he said on TNT Sports.

Former Ireland international Brian O’Driscoll said that it was a tough match for Bath, despite the one-sided final score.

He explained: “In reality, I think it was right in the balance with 15 [minutes] to go. It was a combination of things: Bath showed their power, the sin-binning had a big impact on them getting out of sight, and then as a result.

“Ulster started chasing it a bit too much, got a bit loose, and Bath really made them pay.

“So a very impressive home performance, and for the neutral and people just checking the scores now, they’ll think it was one-way territory. It really wasn’t. Ulster were in the game until certainly well after the hour mark.”

Russell reflected on an improvement in his team’s performance in the second half, as they secured a potentially crucial victory.

He told TNT Sports: “A better second half from us tonight, more clinical. I think we probably left four or five tries out there, especially in the first half, we got down five or six times and scored one try, I think.

“Overall, a bonus-point win, so we’re happy with that.”

He credited all aspects of his team, with a disciplined performance, and effectiveness in defence and attack.

“I think in the Champions Cup, discipline’s key, and your defence as well,” he continued. “We showed we can score points over the last couple of weeks, but our discipline’s getting better. Our defence was outstanding.

“The forwards tonight were outstanding, I don’t know how many scrum penalties they got. They were good in the lineout maul and defence as well.”

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