Leaders Bath edge past Exeter in scrappy game

Gallagher Premiership

Exeter 24 (10)

Tries: Yeandle, Brown-Bampoe 2 Cons: Slade 3 Pens: Slade

Bath 26 (26)

Tries: Penalty, Annett, Bayliss, Muir Cons: Russell 2

Bath showed their defensive mettle with a close-fought 26-24 victory over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.

Despite holding an early lead through Jack Yeandle's effort, Bath's power game proved too much for the home side, with a penalty try and efforts from Niall Annett, Josh Bayliss and Will Muir contributing to the Premiership leaders' healthy half-time lead.

A determined Chiefs' renaissance saw Paul Brown-Bampoe power over for two tries early in the second half, but Bath clung on for their 12th victory of the season.

The result was not enough to guarantee Bath's position in the play-offs, but with a 15-point lead in the Premiership table, they are all-but certain to host a semi-final in June.

In slippery conditions it was the home team who struck first, Henry Slade firing between the posts following an early Bath infringement.

But that lead did not last long.

Shortly afterwards, Ben Spencer pirouetted his way over the line despite the attention of Dafydd Jenkins, following successive Bath phases in the Exeter 22.

With the ball held up, referee Anthony Woodthorpe ruled that the Welsh international was offside when making the tackle and awarded the visitors' a penalty try. Jenkins also received a yellow card for his troubles.

But following a scrappy passage of play the Chiefs were back in the lead.

Jack Yeandle powered his way over from close range following a Chiefs' free-kick in the opposing twenty-two, as Bath were slow to adjust their defensive line.

Niall Annett then restored the lead for the visitors, one they were never to relinquish; the hooker driving over from the maul following a line-out deep in the Chiefs' half.

Having gained superiority in the trenches, Bath's flowing attacking game came to the fore for their third and fourth tries.

The talismanic Russell was in the thick of the action and having broken the Chiefs' defensive line following neat interplay with Tom de Glanville and Miles Reid, Bayliss was able to stride over the line untouched.

Bayliss was then instrumental in Bath's fourth. The flanker broke through the tiring Chiefs' defence, feeding Spencer, who was able to pick out the flying Muir to outpace the final defender and dive over in the corner.

The game swung in Exeter's favour early in the second half, with Josh Hodge's magnificent break in the midfield freeing the deserving Brown-Bampoe for their second try.

Bath had lost focus following injuries to Muir and Max Ojomoh and Exeter seized on the malaise with Brown-Bampoe scoring his second to put Chiefs within two points.

Rob Baxter's men were then presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead.

With Bath aimlessly kicking the ball away, Hodge broke down the wing, before being forced to kick ahead. Ruaridh McConnochie looked to have the ball covered, but knocked on in the in-goal area, gifting Exeter a five-metre scrum.

But with the game on the line, Bath won a penalty and were able to close out the victory despite not scoring a single point in the second half.

Bath Head Coach Johann van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol:

"A really good game of rugby, two sides going at each other - they went up 3-0, we replied, they replied, then we hit a purple patch, but fair play to Exeter, they fought back after half-time.

"I'm really proud of the group, we're tough to beat. That scrum on our tryline, we turned that over and closed down the game – so five points, they all count the same, big win for us in our season.

"We've been dominant, with big scores, in the last few weeks. This was a tight one, but we came through this one also – you've got to win in many different ways, we won a tough one today."

Exeter head coach Rob Hunter told BBC Radio Devon:

"It was one of those games that I don't know how to feel about, I think it's a good sign that I'm so gutted we didn't win that – we've gave ourselves every opportunity to.

"We grew into the game and everyone's working really hard to get better, a totally different attitude out there, its fantastic – we've got much to learn, but Bath are a great team to learn from.

"We let the momentum slip away from us in the first half but we wrestled it back. To come back from that scoreline at half-time and finish the game that strongly, I'm just super proud of the guys."

Exeter: Hodge, Hammersley, Slade, Hawkins, Brown-Bampoe; Skinner, Cairns; Sio, Yeandle, Street, Tuima, Jenkins, Moloney, Capstick, Fisilau.

Replacements: Norey, Blose, Roots, Vermuelen, Vintcent, Armstrong, Haydon-Wood, Rigg.

Yellow card: Jenkins.

Bath: De Glanville, McConnochie, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer; Van Wyk, Annett, Du Toit, Richards, Ewels, Bayliss, Reid, Green.

Replacements: Dunn, Obano, Stuart, Molony, Hill, Schreuder, Bailey, Barbeary.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe