Callard salutes Catt's return

Mike Catt's stunning return from injury transformed Bath from serial losers into serious contenders in a heroic Heineken Cup victory in Biarritz on Saturday.

The England centre, who had not played for four months, looked like he had never been away as Bath saw off the French League leaders 14-6, with three Matt Perry penalties and a late Tom Voyce try.

Bath coach Jon Callard said:'One man cannot win a game on his own but one man can inspire a team to win and that's what happened.' Bath were unrecognisable from the side who suffered a record defeat at Leicester last weekend - their fourth Premiership loss on the trot.

Catt ran the show at fly half and outside him, fellow England centre Mike Tindall had a storming game. A relieved Tindall said: 'It's like a weight lifted off our shoulders. The more you lose, the harder it is to pick yourselves up and play like the team you are.' Harlequins also enjoyed a winning start away from home, although they were hanging on at the end before edging Bridgend 30-24.

Fly half Paul Burke supplied 20 points, with a try as well as his reliable goal-kicking.

But Newcastle made the worst start possible in the tightest of the six groups, losing 34-21 to Newport. Man-of-the-match Shane Howarth won the fly-half duel with Jonny Wilkinson, thanks to the armchair ride given him by the visiting pack. Also in tough Pool Six are Toulouse and Leinster.

Howarth kicked five penalties and converted two of the three tries, while Newcastle could not add to Wilkinson's seven penalties from seven attempts.

Sale romped to a record win in the second-tier competition, the newly named Parker Pen Shield.

They beat Roma 93-0, bettering the 91 points Newcastle put on Cross Keys last season. Apollo Perelini scored three of Sale's 14 tries, just one sort of the tournament record.