Bath 31 Chiefs 14
Bath Rugby 31
Exeter Chiefs 14
Mark Stevens at the Recreation Ground
When push came to shove, it was Bath who emerged triumphant in a pulsating Aviva Premiership encounter with Exeter Chiefs at the Recreation Ground.
With little to choose between either side for much of the game, it was Mike Ford’s gladiators who ultimately prevailed in the famous Roman City.
Tries from international stars Horacio Agulla, Kyle Eastmond, Dave Attwood and Anthony Watson were the key highlights, whilst a further 11 points from the boot of England ace George Ford brought the curtain down on the stubborn Exeter resistance.
The Chiefs, to their credit, played their part in this post-Christmas cracker, claiming converted tries from wingers Matt Jess and Jack Nowell, but it was never enough as their search for a first-ever Premiership win against Bath continues.
Having seen their eight-game winning streak brought to a halt at Sale last time out, Baxter made three changes to his starting line-up for this latest match-up against their nearest and dearest. Into the pack came Jack Yeandle and Don Armand at the expense of Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ben White, whilst behind Sam Hill was recalled to partner fellow young gun Henry Slade in the visiting midfield.
Bath, fresh from their victory away to the ‘Auld Enemy’ Gloucester, freshened up their front-row handing starts to Nick Auterac, Rob Webber and Henry Thomas, while Argentinian winger Agulla was the preferred option on the right flank with England international Semesa Rokodoguni sidelined.
With personnel in place and a capacity crowd packed into the world famous Rec, it was the home side who offered the greater threat in the opening exchanges. Ford declined an early kick at goal when Chris Cook was shoulder checked by Slade as he looked to race after a kick ahead; then moments later the lively Matt Banahan saw a try chalked off by referee J-P Doyle, who had spotted a forward pass in the build-up to what was a slick move that cut open the Exeter defence.
Living dangerously, Baxter’s men looked to respond at the other end as first prop Ben Moon broke clear of the home cover with a burst; then replacement Mitch Lees looked to make inroads when he powered his way through the heart of the Bath defence when he latched onto a pass from Will Chudley.
It was gripping, yet high-octane stuff, as both sides looked to attack at will. Chances came and went at both ends, but either stout defence or the odd handling error meant the scoreline remained untouched in the opening quarter.
Ford had a chance to break the deadlock moments later when Jack Nowell was adjudged to have strayed offside just inside his own half, but the normally deadly fly-half saw his long-range effort drift wide of the mark.
The Chiefs duly made the most of the let-off, claiming the game’s opening score on 24 minutes. With Bath on the offensive, Dominic Day fumbled a Ford pass; Chiefs skipper Dean Mumm scooped up the loose ball before feeding Jess on the charge. Still with half of the field to race, the ‘Heamoor Flyer’ applied the right foot, speeding clear of the advances of Banahan to claim the score, which Gareth Steenson duly converted.
Visiting joy was soon dampened, however, as it took Bath just five minutes to draw level. Pressing hard in attack, Leroy Houston did well to hold onto another fizzing pass from Ford, before offloading to Eastmond, who in turn fed Agulla who did the rest with an assured finish.
Ford slotted the extras to that score and Bath’s second which arrived just four minutes before the break when Cook’s clever work around the ruck allowed him to create the opening for England centre Eastmond to cruise over by the posts.
Even then there was still time for one last Chiefs foray into home waters, but on this occasion great work from Eastmond at the tackle zone denied the visiting raid and it was Bath who held the upper hand at the turn.
HALF TIME BATH RUGBY 14 EXETER CHIEFS 7
On the resumption, the Chiefs were quickly into their stride as both Armand and Lees looked to power their way through. The duo’s early endeavours proved fruitful enough as they got the visitors deep into the Bath 22, but just as the visitors were poised to pounce, Hill knocked on as he attempted to collect a pass from Steenson.
Undeterred, the Chiefs threatened again as Phil Dollman’s counter burst caused no end of problems in the home ranks. Again, though, the visitors were unable to capitalise as - not for the first time - they were adjudged to have held on in the tackle.
Exeter, though, had the scent of blood and they were finally rewarded on 45 minutes as a Ford pass to the left cannoned back off the head of Steenson, Hill collected the loose pass, applied a clever kick ahead and there was Cornishman Nowell, who raced from the other side of the field to claim the all-important touchdown in the corner. Steenson, as he often tends to do, nailed the testing conversion to level the game up.
Whereas the momentum was all with Bath in the first period, now it was the Devonians who held the greater attacking threat.
Bath, though, are a different animal compared to previous seasons and when they picked off a Yeandle line-out on the Exeter 22, they masterfully drove the ball as a collective to the line where replacement Attwood, who had only been on the field a matter of minutes, ploughed his way over to add a third converted score.
Sensing they had the edge up front, Bath looked to press home their dominance and they were further rewarded on the hour mark when Ford slotted a simple penalty after the Chiefs were found to have come up at a scrum.
Now ten points adrift heading into the final quarter of a quite epic encounter, a quick line-out caught Bath napping, Dollman and Jess combined well to counter at pace and it took a last-gasp intervention from Cook to deny the Exeter winger from claiming a second score.
Bath repelled the Chiefs threat without too much concern, before they took the opportunity to parade their star-studded bench, which included the much-talked about Sam Burgess, who replaced Jonathan Joseph in the home midfield.
The fresh muscle was having the desired effect for the home side who, as they had done in the first period, declined a kickable penalty instead opting for the corner. The initial raid was thwarted by the Chiefs, but illegally according to Doyle, who banished Lees to the sin-bin for a professional foul. Then, on the second attempt, great work from Armand proved sufficient to deny the home side once more.
With the bonus point in their sight-scope, Bath looked to deliver a deadly blow to their Westcountry counterparts with a succession of five-metre scrums. The Chiefs, it has to be said, were dogged in their determination not to leak a fourth score.
Armand was immense, but his fellow forwards were equally as courageous, protecting their line as though their very existence on earth depended on it.
But with three minutes remaining, the home pressure finally told as Bath clinically pounced to claim the fourth converted try when full-back Watson was able to gather a looped pass from Ford before steaming over the whitewash.
Soundly beaten come the end, the Chiefs did threaten with the very last action of the game. Sadly, they couldn’t find a way through the home line even despite the best attentions of Messrs Armand, Waldrom and Hill
Next up for Baxter’s side will be a first tussle of 2015 when Gloucester provide the visitors to a packed out Sandy Park on January 3.
Bath: A Watson; H Agulla, J Joseph (S Burgess 63), K Eastmond, M Banahan; G Ford (O Devoto 79), C Cook (M Young 65); N Auterac (P James 65), R Webber (R Batty 49), H Thomas (D Wilson 67); S Hooper (capt), D Day (D Attwood 49); M Garvey, F Louw, L Houston (C Fearns 65).
Tries - Agulla, Eastmond, Attwood, Watson; Conversions - Ford (4); Penalty - Ford
Chiefs: P Dollman; J Nowell, H Slade, S Hill, M Jess (K Horstmann 72); G Steenson (I Whitten 74), W Chudley (H Thomas 7-14, 58); B Moon (C Rimmer 54), J Yeandle (L Cowan-Dickie 54), M Low (T Francis 54); D Mumm (capt), D Welch (M Lees 14); D Ewers, D Armand, T Waldrom. Replacement (not used): F Vainikolo.
Tries - Jess, Nowell; Conversions - Steenson (2)
Yellow Card: Lees
Referee: J-P Doyle
Attendance: 13,349
UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v Gloucester (H), Aviva Premiership, Saturday, January 3 (4:30pm)