By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-11-30 20:13:20 | Updated at 2024-12-01 00:37:09
4 hours ago
Gallagher Premiership
Bath (7) 19
Tries: Pepper 2, Annett Cons: Russell 2
Exeter (8) 15
Tries: Vermuelen, Fisilau Cons: Slade Pens: Slade
Bath returned to the top of the Premiership table but were made to work for it by a resolute Exeter Chiefs in a 19-15 victory.
In a messy contest dominated by kicks, scrums and missed lineouts, Bath struck first from close range through Guy Pepper, before Jacques Vermuelen responded for the Chiefs.
After the break, Bath gradually wrestled the game away from the visitors, with further tries for Pepper and Niall Annett, before Greg Fisilau secured a losing bonus point for the Chiefs' at the end.
The result leaves Bath on 29 points, ahead of Bristol on points difference, while Exeter return to Devon still looking for their first league win of the season.
Anticipation was running high at the Rec ahead of the first league match following the international break, but the first half proved to be a rather insipid affair.
Neither team was able to generate momentum consistently with kicking coming to the fore.
It was Bath who struck first, Pepper diving through the Chiefs' line following Ted Hill's charge off the back of a five-metre lineout.
The Chiefs' then responded; a perfectly placed kick for the corner from Slade allowed Exeter to repeatedly batter the Bath line. After Fisilau was initially repelled, captain Vermuelen powered over to the delight of the visiting fans.
With Exeter camped once again in the Bath 22, Stu Townsend was forced off following a clash of heads with Hill, which resulted in the flanker receiving the first of Bath's three yellow cards.
Slade put the Chiefs ahead by one on the verge of half-time, but it was not to last for long.
Bath were fortunate when Russell's kick was charged down into the arms of Will Muir, who burned a defender on the outside before releasing Ben Spencer. The scrum-half was caught before the line, but Pepper was eventually driven over for his second score of the day.
Following a period of consistent Exeter pressure, Spencer was then sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on. The yellow card seemed to give Bath a new sense of purpose, and with Spencer barely back on the field, the home side scored their third try.
Annett emerged from the bottom of the pile following a driving line-out to put the game beyond the Chiefs.
However, Exeter took some late consolation. With Ollie Lawrence in the sin-bin following a break by Feyi-Waboso, Fisilau forced his way over with the clock in the red to give the visitors a deserved losing bonus point.
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Butt, Muir; Russell, Spencer; du Toit, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Reid.
Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Verden, Molony, Bayliss, Schreuder, Redpath, Barbeary.
Sin-bin: Hill (25), Spencer (55), Lawrence (80).
Exeter: Hodge; Feyi-Waboso, Tua, Rigg, Wyatt; Slade, Townsend; Fisilau, Vermuelen, Roots, Capstick, Tuima, Street, Frost, Sio.
Replacements: Innard, Goodrick-Clarke, Roots, Molina, Vintcent, Becconsall, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley.
Referee: Sara Cox.
