| Bath: (12) 41 |
| Tries: Barbeary 2, Redpath, Spencer, Cokanasiga, Butt Cons: Russell 4 Pens: Russell |
| Exeter: (10) 24 |
| Tries: Slade, Townsend, Painter Cons: Slade 3 Pens: Slade |
Bath moved up to second place in the Premiership after easing away to beat Exeter 41-24 at The Rec.
Alfie Barbeary and Cameron Redpath scores, and a Finn Russell penalty, took Bath 12-0 ahead, but Henry Slade’s try, conversion and penalty drew the Chiefs within two points at the break.
Ben Spencer and Stu Townsend then traded tries as Bath led 20-17.
But Joe Cokanasiga, Barbeary and Will Butt all crossed after Townsend’s yellow card to seal the win.
Ehren Painter’s last-gasp reply for Exeter could not dent the celebrations at the full-time whistle as a third win in four matches took Bath level on points with leaders Sale, who suffered a heavy defeat by Harlequins on Friday.
Barbeary put the hosts ahead after just six minutes, allowed to go straight through the middle of the maul to crash over.
The Chiefs had been firmly on the back foot in the opening exchanges but had begun to get a foothold when Bath struck again midway through the half, as clever hands and a great line saw Redpath sidestep the final defender to cross.
But Exeter went into the match on the back of four wins in five matches – including a first away Premiership success in 13 months at Newcastle last weekend – and soon hit back.
Slade touched down behind the posts after combining well with Joe Hawkins and moments later the England fly-half booted them back to 12-10 after Greg Fisilau won a penalty at the breakdown.
Bath’s previous two home matches at the Rec had been decided by a single point and it looked like another close encounter as the teams traded tries after the break.
Spencer linked up well with Cokanasiga to extend Bath’s slender lead and Finn Russell nudged them 20-10 ahead with a penalty.
Back came the Chiefs as Townsend’s scrum-half snipe took him under the posts and Slade made it 20-17.
But the afternoons of Townsend and Exeter soon turned dramatically as the scrum-half saw yellow on the hour and Bath took devastating advantage with three quick tries in 11 minutes.
Russell struck the post with his penalty attempt, but Exeter knocked on when trying to regather and the resulting 5m scrum proved the springboard for Bath’s winning burst.
Cokanasiga fought his way over as the hosts’ pack wheeled the Chiefs back towards their own line and, four minutes later, Barbeary gave the hosts daylight with his second after a poacher’s finish.
With nine minutes left the game was up for the visitors as long passes out to the left allowed replacement Butt to score in the corner with his first touch.
Bath: Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Stooke, Ewels, Reid, Underhill, Barbeary, Spencer (capt), Russell, Muir, Redpath, Ojomoh, Cokanasiga, Gallagher.
Replacements: Annett, Schoeman, Griffin, van Velze, Coetzee, Carr-Smith, Harris, Butt.
Exeter: Abuladze, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Pearson, Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau, Townsend, Skinner, Hammersley, Hawkins, Slade, Woodburn, Wyatt.
Replacements: Norey, Hepburn, Painter, Tuima, Davis, Armstrong, Devoto, O’Loughlin.
Sin-bin: Townsend (61)
Referee: Tom Foley.
