The Bath resurgence continues with a six-try win over Exeter
Resurgent Bath proved too powerful for West Country rivals Exeter, pulling away to score six tries in a 41-24 Gallagher Premiership win over the Chiefs in front of another sell-out crowd at The Rec.
Number eight Alfie Barbeary had his best game so far in Bath colours with two tries as they leapfrogged Exeter into the top four. Other home tries came from Cameron Redpath, Ben Spencer, Joe Cokanasiga and Will Butt, with Finn Russell adding four conversions and a penalty.
Exeter, who were combative and well in touch until the last quarter, had scores from Henry Slade, Stu Townsend and a consolation effort by replacement prop Ehren Painter, with Slade kicking three conversions and a penalty.
The Devon side pressed hard early on but Bath used a shortened lineout to send Barbeary rampaging from his own 22, with Same Underhill in support.
Jack Yeandle killed the ruck and yet another Exeter penalty set up a lineout pick-and-drive which saw Barbeary touch down for a seventh-minute try although Russell’s kick was just wide.
On a roll ?
Three tries in the last 10 minutes for @BathRugby!#BATvEXE | #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/yTtWNSCoa7
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 2, 2023
The visitors worked hard to create space out wide but Spencer was invariably on hand to clear the danger when attacks broke down, usually because Underhill was such a poaching threat at the breakdown.
Bath’s second try came on 20 minutes from Redpath who had nearly broken through on the right and was on hand again moments later as Spencer slipped him a pass in heavy traffic. The Scottish centre still had to step past full-back Tom Wyatt to reach the posts and Russell added the conversion for a 12-0 lead.
The response was immediate. Exeter made the most of a lineout in the home 22 as fly-half Harvey Skinner put Slade through a gap, leaving the Bath defence flat-footed. The England centre had no trouble converting his try.
The third Bath try came two minutes after half-time, started and finished by the impeccable Spencer, breaking on the short side of a scrum on his own 22. Cokanasiga was on his shoulder and made another 30 metres before passing back inside to his skipper who touched down in the corner. Russell’s kick was wide.
While playing a penalty advantage, Max Ojomoh might have scored too but was held up. This time Russell chipped over a penalty for a 20-10 lead.
Exeter, still full of fight, went to the other wing where Townsend wriggled his way through the Bath forwards to score a try converted again by Slade and suddenly it was a three-point game.
But not for long. Exeter lost Townsend to a yellow card and there was further punishment as a fizzing left-hand pass by Russell presented Cokanasiga with a run-in on the right for the try bonus point just after the hour mark and the British and Irish Lion this time converted.
Barbeary stole away from a ruck in the Exeter 22 for the fifth try on 66 minutes and that was quickly followed by a sixth, claimed by Butt who had only just come on from the bench.
- Click here for all the RugbyPass stats from the Bath versus Exeter Premiership game
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to comments