Van Graan criticises TV replay 'consistency' after Bath lose semi-final

Investec Champions Cup semi-final

Bordeaux-Begles (24) 38

Tries: Gazzotti, Bielle-Biarrey, Lucu, Tameifuna, Matiu Cons: Lucu 5 Pen: Lucu

Bath (12) 26

Tries: Muir 2, Hennessey, Carr-Smith Cons: Russell 3

Bath boss Johann van Graan called for more "consistency" with who supplies television match official footage after he felt foul play incidents were missed in his side's Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss to Bordeaux-Begles.

The Prem champions were outplayed by Bordeaux on France's Atlantic coast in the English side's first top-tier European semi-final in 20 years, a point which Van Graan acknowledged post-match.

Billed pre-game as the defending champions' organised chaos versus Bath's structured efficiency, Bordeaux's style prevailed as their visitors were eventually worn down by the game's relentless pace.

Several key decisions did not help Bath's cause.

French TV broadcasters have been criticised by some in the past for not showing replays of certain foul play incidents or decisions that may go against the home side.

Asked if there is a problem with French broadcasters providing footage, Van Graan told BBC Sport: "Yes. All we want is consistency on both sides of the ball right through the competition.

"I believe specifically that three carries from Alfie Barbeary made direct contact to the head.

"I want to make clear that the better team won on the day, but I want to ask why certain things are not picked up when you play away from home in France."

Had those three incidents been called in Bath's favour, it may not have ended up affecting the result, such was the excellence of Yannick Bru's side.

At the sold-out 42,000-seater Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Metropole, the Champions Cup holders delivered a blistering first half with tries for Marko Gazzotti, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Maxime Lucu.

The English side were always underdogs but went blow for blow for the opening half hour, wing Will Muir twice getting on the scoresheet.

In a game of international quality the key match-ups were everywhere - Bielle-Biarrey v Henry Arundell, Matthieu Jalibert v Finn Russell - but it was young talent Louie Hennessey who got Bath's third try at the beginning of the second half.

From there Bordeaux took over, with 23 stone-plus substitute Ben Tameifuna powering over the decisive try and Temo Matiu putting the result beyond the Prem side, despite Tom Carr-Smith's late consolation.

Bath's wait for another trophy in this competition will stretch to 29 years, while Bordeaux earn the chance to go back-to-back against Leinster in three weeks' time.

Van Graan added: "Three words [points I would like to make]. Congrats to UBB, they were the better side. Number two the officials were exceptionally good today. The main point I want to make is that from a consistency point of view that where every game is played that the TMO [television match official] gets access to all the footage he wants.

"From my point of view, you want the match officials to know what they are looking at. Whatever decision a ref makes is the final call."

Bath will have craved a steady start but delivered anything but. Barbeary - one of five Champions Cup player of the year contenders - failed to catch the kick-off and within two minutes Damian Penaud made a searing outside break and Gazzotti barrelled over.

Two superb kicks helped Bath get on to the scoreboard, as Russell's cross-field gained territory and Ben Spencer's chip to the wing found an unmarked Muir over the tryline.

Roared on by the home crowd Bordeaux came again, kicking to the corner and then spreading the ball to the other wing for Bielle-Biarrey to dive in unopposed.

Bath, though, had plenty of practice facing unstructured chaos in their superb quarter-final against Northampton, and stayed in the fight with a Hennessey break from midfield.

Bordeaux lock Adam Coleman may well have been carded for a high shot on Barbeary, the first of the incidents Van Graan identified, but the television match official saw no clear head contact.

The English side did not have to wait too long for another boost though, Arundell drawing defenders to allow Muir to blast through Maxime Lucu's tackle and produce a superb diving finish in the corner.

Lucu soon found a response to Muir's second try, as a knock-on in Bath's half gifted his side the ball and it was shunted through the hands until the scrum-half was able to dart under the posts on 34 minutes.

Lucu kicked a penalty for a 24-12 half-time lead, with the relentless pace clearly affecting the visiting players.

Van Graan's side found plenty of endeavour after the break though, a series of punishing forward drives taking them to the tryline and Hennessey capitalising on the space to stretch his arm over.

The French pressure came again. Bath were penned into their own half for the next 10 minutes. Jalibert almost jinked his way to the tryline on two occasions.

The unfortunate incidents started to pile up for the English side, a missed line-out followed by a penalty against Ollie Lawrence and Muir forced off injured.

The champions flexed their muscles again, with Gaetan Barlot's score ruled out after he lost control of the ball over the tryline, only for Tameifuna to power over from the next play, with Charlie Ewels in the sin-bin.

If that score put the chances of an English comeback in doubt the next made it almost impossible, with replacement Matiu picking up a loose ball to score in the 76th minute.

As is their way, the west country side never gave up the chase, with replacement Carr-Smith on hand to finish off a try with the final play after Arundell's chip through.

Bath's performance cemented their place back among Europe's elite clubs after 20 years without a semi-final, but in Bordeaux they came up against a superb team who underlined the strength of their all-round game once more.

A year ago they were a club who had never won a major trophy - in the final against Leinster they will get the chance to earn a second in 12 months.

Bordeaux-Begles: Rayasi; Uberti, Penaud, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu (c); Perchaud, Lamothe, Sadie, Palu, Coleman, Bochaton, Woki, Gazzotti

Replacements: Barlot, Boniface, Tameifuna, Cazeaux, Vergnes-Taillefer, Matiu, Retiere, Hugo Reus

Bath: Carreras; Arundell, Hennessey, Lawrence, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Barbeary

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Sela, Hill, Underhill, Carr-Smith, De Glanville, Reid

Sin-bin: Ewels (67)

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Assistant referees: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy), Eoghan Cross (Ireland)

TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)