Bath Utd 42 Exeter Braves 7
Bath United 42
Exeter Braves 7
Alfie Martin at The Recreation Ground
Exeter Braves remain top of the Southern Conference in this season’s Premiership Rugby Shield despite slipping to their first defeat of the season away to Bath United.
On a tough afternoon for the visitors, a lone try for No.8 Rus Tuima, converted by fly-half Harvey Skinner, proved the only highlight as the Devonians struggled to find the same rhythm they had shown in seeing off Harlequins earlier in the week at The Stoop.
Bath piled on the pressure early in the game, starving the Braves of possession and making them work for every inch of grass. An early score for Michael van Vuuren in the fourth minute was converted by Alex Davies, who then took to the tee just minutes later after speedster Tom Homer found his way over the line for the home side’s second score.
Chipping their way up-field, the more-than-useful United outfit employed their dominant line-out plenty of times in the opening half alone. It was a tactic that brought them both decent territory and possession and although the visitors initially did well to repel the threat, the defence was finally breached when Levi Davis crashed over for a third try, again converted by former Plymouth Albion back Davies.
Down 21-0, the Braves needed to fashion a response of sorts before the break. Slick phase play saw them edge their way deep behind enemy lines, the fruits of which resulted in Tuima rumbling his way over at the North End for the score, which Skinner was able to convert.
HALF TIME BATH UNITED 21 EXETER BRAVES 7
With a deficit of only two tries, the Braves came out of the blocks firing after the break, looking to exploit any weaknesses in their opponent’s barricades. However, Bath’s line-out continued to prove troublesome, turning over the Braves and preventing any real momentum from the league leaders.
Replacement scrum-half Paul Grant made his mark on the scoreboard when he crossed in the 67th minute, quickly followed by Homer, who cut through for his second of the contest.
Bath’s charge was not finished there, however, as Luke Charteris hit the final nail in the coffin after sustained pressure in the Braves 22. The towering frame of the Welsh international saw him bundled over for United’s sixth score.
Davies’ boot continued to provide the goods for the home side, the fly-half maintaining a 100% kicking record throughout the contest.
A late yellow card for Exeter replacement Flynn Elworthy did little to help the Braves cause, while fellow Academy youngster Shea Cornish came tantalisingly close to a spectacular score on his starting debut.
Bath United: D Atkins, T Homer, A Brew (W Butt 59), T de Glanville, L Davis, A Davies, C Cook (M Gilbert 69), L Noguera (W Vaughan 67), M van Vuuren (J Walker 52), S Nixon (K Verden 69), W Britton, L Charteris, J Davies, J Bayliss (capt, T Doughty 69, S Elrick 77), M Reid (P Grant 53),
Tries - M van Vuuren, T Homer (2), L Davis, P Grant, L Charteris; Conversions - A Davies (6)
Exeter Braves: M Bodilly, J Short, B Karea (L Mehson 69), T Hendrickson (S Morley 40), S Cornish, H Skinner, J Snow (P Thompson 64), M Low (B Keast 59), M Norey (B Phillips 74), G Holmes (M Street 59), J Caulfield, T Salmon (R Capstick 52), O Kaufusi, J McRae (capt), R Tuima (F Elworthy 64)
Try - R Tuima; Conversion - H Skinner
Referee: J Clark
Attendance: 600