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The Bath update on Finn Russell after star injured in Exeter loss
Bath boss Johann van Graan was left to painfully reflect on injuries suffered by Scotland internationals Finn Russell and Cameron Redpath following his team’s 21-15 Investec Champions Cup defeat against Exeter.
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Fly-half playmaker Russell went off due to a suspected groin injury after just 15 minutes at a windswept Sandy Park.
Centre Redpath, meanwhile, departed during the third quarter because of an ankle problem, with Bath seeing a 15-7 lead wiped out as Exeter secured a quarter-final clash against Toulouse or Racing 92 next weekend.
“It is a contact sport, a collision sport,” Bath head of rugby Van Graan said.
“It is not often you lose your 10, who is a very important player for us, in the first half, and then your 12 in the second-half.
“We were disrupted, but that’s the game. Obviously, the game is a lot easier if it doesn’t happen.
“We will take our time with Finn. It was a big moment in this game when he went off. It (injury) seems like somewhere in the groin area, and Cam looks like an ankle.”
Exeter, tournament winners in 2020, scored tries through number eight Ross Vintcent, replacement Greg Fisilau and flanker Ethan Roots, with Roots’ England colleague Henry Slade kicking three conversions.
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Bath claimed first-half touchdowns from prop Thomas du Toit and flanker Ted Hill, while captain Ben Spencer added a conversion and penalty, but they could not build on a healthy advantage early in the second period.
Van Graan added: “We came here to win. A European knockout game away from home comes down to small margins, and I think both teams found the conditions incredibly difficult with and without the ball.
“We are incredibly disappointed, and we will regroup. There are a lot of hurt men, but they are hurt because they care.
“It is a tough one to take, but that’s rugby. We win together and we lose together. It was a brilliant game played in the right spirit, and we came one score short.”
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England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was at the heart of Exeter’s best attacking moments, and Chiefs rugby director Rob Baxter hailed his performance.
“He is the closest replacement to a Jack Nowell we could have had, a guy who just gets you metres out of nowhere. And he is getting better at it,” Baxter said.
“He is only learning how to use those talents that he has. At least two of our tries came from momentum he gained almost on his own, at times when he didn’t deserve to get momentum. That shows his value.”
Attack 
182
Passes
67
176
Ball Carries
66
294m
Post Contact Metres
109m
5
Line Breaks
1
Exeter were crushed 41-5 by Gallagher Premiership opponents Sale Sharks last weekend, and Baxter added: “The guys have responded in the best way possible. Fair play to them.
“The one thing we had today was absolute full-blooded commitment, and we were in the game physically from the first minute.
“We got an awful lot of hard work done in the first half. The bits you do right from the start add up and actually win you the game.
“We were probably a bit more ambitious in the second half, which allowed us to create a couple of opportunities. We have won a very important game for the club.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Safas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
69 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
69 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
69 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
69 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
69 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
69 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
69 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
69 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
69 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
69 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
69 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to comments