Match Report: Bath Rugby 19 – 15 Exeter Chiefs

A competitive evening in Round Seven of the Gallagher Premiership saw Bath Rugby emerge victorious over a Chiefs side battling to improve on their league form after a positive Premiership Rugby Cup block.

Underneath the floodlights and with the picturesque back-drop of The Rec, Chiefs put on a strong performance but were unable to overcome Johan Van Graan’s top of the table side as Bath scored three tries to Exeter’s two.

The hosts opened the scoring when a move off the lineout put the pack on the front foot. Ted Hill made the initial carry before Guy Pepper went himself from the breakdown, stretching out a long limb in contact to dot down for the try.

Freshly back from international duty with Scotland, Finn Russell slotted the conversion.

The Chiefs’ match captain, Jacques Vermeulen, ensured his side weren’t to be held to nil. Just shy of 20 minutes played, a nicely weighted kick to touch from Henry Slade gave the pack a chance of a maul drive from a couple of metres out.

Controlling ball at the back, Dan Frost initially charged for the line but was held in the tackle just inches short. A second carry with some teammates’ weight behind him gave Vermeulen the score on the second phase.

To the jeers of the Bath crowd, Slade’s conversion attempt drifted just wide.

Bath were reduced to 14 men on 24 minutes played when Hill was shown a yellow card for a head-on-head clash with Stu Towsend in the home side’s 22 as the Chiefs scrum half looked to snipe through the Bath line.

The Chiefs were put under pressure in their own 22 when Bath took good territory from a couple of penalties, working downfield from their own half. However, in slowing the pace at the breakdown, Chiefs were able to find room to exit.

At the death of the half, Slade kicked the Chiefs into the lead. A breakdown penalty on the edge of the 22 had the experienced man calling for the tee. With the ball splitting the uprights, the teams headed into the changing room for the break.

Half-time: Bath 7 – 8 Chiefs

The intensity with which both sides fired into the opening minutes of the second half proved the encounter had not lost any of its edge during the break.

The hosts profited first as a sustained attack on the Chiefs line littered bodies everywhere. In the melee, a TMO check awarded Pepper his second of the evening. Russell’s conversion attempt was incomplete.

Chiefs were working with energy and drive in the Bath 22 as the clocked showed 55 minutes. Multiple penalties coming their way put Bath on notice with the referee. However, it was a deliberate knock-on from Ben Spencer which produced the yellow card. Slade was looking for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso with a spiral pass to the wing when the Bath man intervened.

A TMO check deemed it unworthy of a penalty try and so Chiefs went to the corner once more but an unfortunate overthrow from Frost thwarted the opportunity.

Just as Spencer was reintroduced to the field 10 minutes later, Bath scored their third try. A penalty allowed them to go deep into the corner and the maul drive was executed well as replacement hooker Niall Annett drove the ball over at the rear. Russell added the conversion.

While the win was not to be, there was still life in the game for Chiefs to secure the losing bonus point when Greg Fisilau powered his way over with the clock in the red. Bath were a man down as Ollie Lawrence had been sin-binned in the build up, but it was the dogged determination to not leave the city without adding to their tally in the table that saw Rob Baxter’s men come through.

With the final kick of the game, Slade secured the conversion to bring Chiefs just four points shy of their hosts on the board. While there is still work to be done, there was some real promise showed by the Exeter performance as they prepare to head into a tough block of games in the Investec Champions Cup.

Full-time: Bath 19 – 15 Chiefs

Bath: T De Glanville; J Cokanasiga, O Lawrence, W Butt (Redpath 67’), W Muir; F Russell, B Spencer (Schreuder 76’); T Du Toit, T Dunn (Annett 61’), W Stuart (Van Wyk 61’), Q Roux (Molony 58’), C Ewels, T Hill, G Pepper, M Reid (Barbeary 58’, Bayliss 63’).

Replacements: Verden

Tries: Pepper 2, Annett Conversions: Russell 2

Yellow card: Ted Hill, Ben Spencer, Ollie Lawrence

Chiefs: J Hodge; I Feyi-Waboso, T Tua, W Rigg (Hammerlsey 67’), T Wyatt; H Slade, S Townsend (Becconsall 24’); S Sio (Goodrick-Clarke 59’), D Frost (Innard 59’), M Street (J Roots 59’), R Tuima (Molina 69’), R Capstick, E Roots, J Vermeulen (Vintcent 67’), G Fisilau.

Replacements: Haydon-Wood

Tries: Vermeulen, Fisilau Conversions: Slade Penalties: Slade

Referee: Sara Cox