Normal service has been resumed. Bath Rugby bounced back from their humbling by Northampton Saints to get the better of Exeter Chiefs in a magnificent match on Saturday 3rd January and return to the top of the Gallagher PREM, albeit for two hours.
Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs served up an enthralling encounter here at The Rec on Saturday 3rd January, the hosts edging it thanks to a last-gasp try | Photo © Richard Briggs
The Blue, Black & White started the game in fourth place in the table, following Bristol Bears’ win over Sale Sharks the previous evening.
Johann van Graan’s team returned to pole position courtesy of a victory secured by a last-gasp try, but ended the day in second spot as Northampton regained the leadership by trashing Harlequins in their evening tussle.
Bath scored four tries in the opening quarter of the Round 9 encounter as they took advantage of the Chiefs suffering a 20-minute red card for a dreadful aerial challenge by Campbell Ridl on Henry Arundell.
But Exeter roared back from 26-0 down to tie the game, only for the hosts to triumph with a late score from replacement Arthur Green, Finn Russell’s conversion being the final act before referee Luke Pearce blew his whistle for full-time.
The match was a cracker to watch but a draw would have been the fairest result.
One has to feel sorry for the Chiefs in so far as all their good work in getting back on terms ultimately came to nothing.
After their sizzling first 20 minutes, Bath were not at their best – but it is the sign of a very good team that a win can be secured under those circumstances, and the build-up to Green’s try was sublime. The hosts had possession for more than three minutes, across 38 phases, leading to the 21-year-old touching down.
Alfie Barbeary had a tremendous game and fully deserved his Gallagher Player of the Match award. Will Muir, back after injury, also made a superb display.
Teenager Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, who has already played for Italy, impressed on his Bath debut. And a fine showing from Ted Hill earned him the Pol Roger Performance of the Match accolade.
The Blue, Black & White were brilliantly clinical as they blitzed their visitors in the first quarter. But the Chiefs produced a stunning comeback that would have seen them go 28-26 ahead had it not been for a missed conversion by Henry Slade.
It seemed Bath would be left to rue a decision not to kick for goal from a penalty right before half-time – instead Ben Spencer sent the ball to the corner. But Green’s score proved decisive.
Following that defeat by the Saints on Saturday 27th December, Bath simply needed to win. And they got exactly what they set out to get – a victory over another championship-chasing outfit that left their supporters in the capacity crowd of 14,509 delighted. But it has to be said that there was a lot of relief among home fans – their side had come so close to dropping league points.
Bath had 51% of the possession and 58% of the territory and gained 485 metres, whereas the visitors gained 356 metres.
Exeter made 198 tackles and missed 34, the hosts making 172 tackles and missing 26.
The Chiefs won the lineout battle 13-9 – and although Exeter gave away seven penalties, the Blue, Black & White conceded 11.
Pearce had a fine match. But he awarded only a yellow card when, in the third minute, Ridl took out Arundell. Television match official Dean Richards upgraded the banishment to a 20-minute red card.
And the Chiefs were certainly punished for Ridl’s absence.
In the seventh minute, Beno Obano touched down from short range on the right to open the scoring. Russell converted.
Barbeary scored Bath’s second try when, in the 12th minute, he spun to ground the ball from close range on the right, Russell again obliging with the two points.
The Blue, Black & White’s third try came in the 14th minute – and it was a beauty. Louie Hennessey, initially on as a replacement for Arundell while he underwent a head injury assessment, received the ball from Santi Carreras and broke on the left from 10 metres inside Bath’s half. Hennessey ran 25 metres before releasing the supporting Carreras to dash in and score to the left of the posts. Russell was again successful from the tee.
And 14-man Exeter were in disarray when Bath bagged their bonus-point try, this in the 20th minute. The scorer was Ollie Lawrence, on his 50th appearance for the club. Tom Dunn peeled off a maul and offloaded to Spencer, who passed to Lawrence six metres out. The centre touched down in the left corner, Russell’s conversion attempt drifting just wide of the right post.
Back to a full complement, Exeter began to force their way into the game.
They grabbed their first try in the 33rd minute, Joseph Dweba scoring on the right from a rolling maul after a five-metre lineout. Slade booted the extras.
And the Chiefs scored again in the 37th minute, Olly Woodburn diving over in the left corner after a glorious lofted pass from Harvey Skinner. Slade converted and Bath’s lead was cut to 12 points.
But, in the 48th minute, Bath appeared to have nabbed their fifth try. Cameron Redpath looked be heading through, only to be tackled 10 metres out. He moved the ball to Spencer who scored just to the right of the posts. But with Russell poised to take the conversion kick, Richards scrubbed off the touchdown for obstruction during the build-up.
Exeter added their third try when, from a spell of pressure, Greg Fisilau crashed over from close range on the left in the 67th minute. Fortunately for Bath, Slade’s conversion kick went wide of the right post.
But the Chiefs soon levelled the match. In the 73rd minute, a lofted pass found Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 12 metres out and he shook off the attentions of Carreras and the back-again Hennessey to go over in the right corner. A fantastic conversion from Slade left the scoreline 26-26.
However, you can never write off Bath. And an hour after they last put points on the board, Green was the hero with a short-range try under the posts. Russell’s conversion brought an enthralling afternoon to a close.
Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Vilikesa Sela, 4 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Henry Arundell, 15 Santi Carreras.
Bath replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Scott Kirk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Louie Hennessey, 23 Arthur Green.
Exeter starting XV: 1 Scott Sio, 2 Joseph Dweba, 3 Bachuki Tchumbdaze, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Ethan Roots, 8 Greg Fisilau, 9 Stephen Varney, 10 Harvey Skinner, 11 Campbell Ridl, 12 Will Rigg, 13 Henry Slade, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 15 Olly Woodburn.
Exeter replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Jimmy Roots, 19 Rusi Tuima, 20 Kane James, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Dan John.
The PREM now takes a break until Friday 23rd January, when Bath will visit Gloucester Rugby in Round 10. In the meantime, the Investec Champions Cup will take centre stage, the Blue, Black & White visiting Castres Olympique on Friday 9th January and entertaining Edinburgh Rugby on Friday 16th January.
Local grassroots teams’ fixtures for Saturday 10th January:
Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South: Trowbridge 2nd XV v Walcot.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North: Combe Down v Westbury.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset: Avon v Minehead Barbarians, St Bernadette’s Old Boys v Oldfield Old Boys.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central: Avonvale v Combe Down 2nd XV, Salisbury 2nd XV v Bath Saracens.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Clevedon 2nd XV v Old Sulians.
Counties 4 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Oldfield Old Boys 2nd XV v Yatton 2nd XV, Walcot 2nd XV v Nailsea & Backwell 3rd XI.
