Bath Rugby claimed a narrow 40-34 win against Exeter Chiefs in an exhilarating West Country derby at the Recreation Ground, propelling them to the top of the Gallagher Premiership table. The match featured 11 tries and a fierce contest that saw both teams battle relentlessly right until the final whistle.
Much like last season’s dramatic play-off semi-final where Exeter triumphed, the Chiefs found themselves trailing 26-10 at half-time. However, they mounted a strong second-half comeback, briefly taking the lead at 33-31 midway through the half, before a yellow card shown to scrum-half Stephen Varney proved a critical turning point.
Bath’s tries came from Cam Redpath, Dan du Preez, Bernard van der Linde, Ted Hill and Finn Russell, with an additional penalty try awarded. Russell was successful with four conversions, contributing significantly to Bath’s total points.
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Exeter responded with formidable efforts from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored twice, alongside tries from Jack Yeandle, Josh Iosefa-Scott and Varney. Henry Slade kicked three conversions and Harvey Skinner added a late penalty to keep the Chiefs in contention.
The match started with Bath in control, as Redpath intercepted a pass and sprinted 50 metres to open the scoring. Van der Linde capitalised on a gap in Exeter’s defence to score, with Russell converting both tries to give Bath a 14-0 lead after the first 15 minutes.
Exeter answered through the powerful runs of Feyi-Waboso, who first evaded a tackle from Ollie Lawrence and later powered past two defenders to score, with Varney assisting in the latter. Bath then extended their lead thanks to Du Preez scoring from close range following a break involving Van der Linde and Ewan Richards. Despite Bath’s strong play, Yeandle’s try from a driving line-out brought Exeter back into the game.
Just before half-time, Bath increased their advantage with Russell picking his way over for a bonus-point try, also converting to make the score 26-10 at the break.
The second half saw Exeter surge, scoring two quick tries; Iosefa-Scott touched down after a close-range effort, followed by Feyi-Waboso’s impressive solo try where he shrugged off defenders. Slade converted both, narrowing the gap to two points.
Exeter took the lead for the first time when former Bath player Will Butt broke through the defence to set up Feyi-Waboso’s second try. However, Bath regained momentum after Varney’s yellow card for a deliberate knock-on led to a penalty try being awarded. In Varney’s absence, Ted Hill powered over to restore Bath’s lead.
Slade missed a penalty attempt soon after, with Skinner stepping up to successfully kick another penalty, securing two bonus points for Exeter.
The final scoreline, 40-34, reflects the intensity and quality of a match that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The teams showed exceptional skill and resilience, with Bath ultimately prevailing thanks to crucial moments and disciplined defence.
Bath Rugby: 15 Ciaran Donoghue, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cam Redpath, 11 Tom de Glanville, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Bernard van der Linde; 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels (c), 6 Ewan Richards, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Dan du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Dan Frost, 17 Scott Kirk, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Max Ojomoh, 23 Jaco Coetzee.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Olly Woodburn, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Will Butt, 11 Tommy Wyatt, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Stephen Varney, 1 Ethan Burger, 2 Jack Yeandle, 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 4 Harry Wilson, 5 Dafydd Jenkins (c), 6 Ethan Roots, 7 Kane James, 8 Greg Fisilau.
Replacements: 16 Louie Gulley, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19 Oscar Beckerleg, 20 Finn Worley Brady, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Zack Wimbush.
Match Officials: Referee Luke Pearce, Assistant Referees Anthony Woodthorpe and Neil Chivers, TMO Dean Richards.