This was living and dying by the sword. This was Bath demonstrating in Europe with vivid clarity why they are top of the Guinness Premiership and why they will not stay there unless they can kick their goals and play with greater pragmatism when needed. But above all, this was a wonderful contest won with the last kick by the nerveless David Skrela.

Skrela's sixth and last penalty goal, with time up on the clock yesterday, swerved like a drunken bird as it left his boot far out on the right, then veered in past the left-hand upright to deny Bath victory in their opening Heineken Cup game. The fly half turned to salute the crowd at the Municipal Stadium, but everyone knew that Bath left the Rose City having played the game so frequently associated with the French club.

If these two clubs do not go through from pool five, it will be a travesty, but even such a defeat will be an encouragement for Bath. They scored two second-half tries, but Butch James could convert neither; nor could he land the penalty attempt that would have sent Bath into half-time on equal terms - a 40 per cent success rate will not do.

Nick Abendanon's try, which needed confirmation by the video official, came with only two minutes remaining and nudged Bath ahead at the crucial moment. From the restart, they tried to run the time down and there were no more than five seconds left when the ball was inadvertently kicked through and the Toulouse backs were away, Maleli Kunavore skipping out of Abendanon's tackle before Yves Donguy was held short.

Toulouse won the ruck, knowing they had a penalty advantage, so even though Cédric Heymans knocked on with three colleagues in close support, they had a second chance. Skrela, coached by Steve Meehan before he left Stade Français to join Bath, stepped up to the mark.

“I'm disappointed by the result but not by the performance,” Meehan said. “It was Toulouse who didn't come to play; they fed off our mistakes. I won't blame the kicker, it wasn't Butch who lost the ball in the last ruck. There are so many actions that turn games. That's sport, it was great theatre.”

There were times when you longed for Bath to adopt a territory game, although the wind into which they played in the second half made that difficult. But even then, the spirit and bravery with which they played was admirable. James gave Bath the initial advantage with his first penalty, but already there were signs of frailty. Abendanon dropped a long kick under no pressure and showed why, even though he can be brilliant, the England coaches are looking elsewhere at full back.

Skrela recovered from missing his first kick at goal, a simple effort, to score with his next two attempts, but only fingertip tackling by Toulouse kept Bath out. Then a rush of blood in the opening period of the second half created yet another chance for Skrela: Abendanon and James tried an inter-passing game in their own 22 and when the ball was cleared, it went to Heymans, whose counter-attack led to the move and the penalty from which Toulouse extended their lead.

James, reading play well, would have crossed from a throw over the Toulouse lineout, but was taken out in mid-air by Yannick Jauzion, and how the referee failed to award a penalty is hard to discern. But Bath still scored, James charging down Byron Kelleher's clearance behind a five-metre scrum and Michael Claassens pouncing on the loose ball.

Had James converted, would the psychological advantage have swung Bath's way with a one-point lead? Instead, trailing by four near the end, they had to go for the try and did so from a close-range lineout won by Jonny Fa'amatuainu. The ball sped right to Abendanon, who stepped out of Maxime Médard's tackle and lunged through Kelleher and Yannick Nyanga to the line. It was a score worthy of winning the tie, but Toulouse, especially with 30,000 fans roaring them on, can never be counted out, nor were they.

Scorers: Toulouse: Penalty goals: Skrela 6 (17min, 38, 44, 61, 71, 80+2). Bath: Tries: Claassens (48), Abendanon (78). Penalty goals: James 2 (12, 64).

Scoring sequence (Toulouse first): 0-3, 3-3, 6-3 (half-time), 9-3, 9-8, 12-8, 12-11, 15-11, 15-16, 18-16.

Toulouse: M Médard; Y Donguy, M Kunavore, YJauzion, C Heymans; D Skrela, B Kelleher; J-BPoux (rep: D Human, 49), W Servat, B Lecouls (rep: Poux, 71), F Pelous (rep: R Millo-Chlusky, 60), P Albacete, J Bouilhou (rep: Y Nyanga, 65), TDusautoir, S Sowerby.

Bath: N Abendanon; J Maddock, A Crockett, S Berne (rep: T Cheeseman, 76), M Banahan (rep: MStephenson, 60); A James, M Claassens; DFlatman (rep: D Barnes, 41), L Mears (rep: PDixon, 71), M Stevens (rep: D Bell, 74), JHarrison, P Short, S Hooper (rep: J Scaysbrook, 71), M Lipman, J Fa'amatuainu.

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland).

Attendance: 31,885.