Bath moved to the top of the Prem after withstanding a forceful Exeter Chiefs comeback to win a high-scoring West Country derby 40-34 at the Rec.
The hosts had established a 26-10 half-time lead and collected their attacking bonus point before the interval, but Exeter overturned that deficit early in the second half to lead 31-26. Bath responded with a penalty try and a late Ted Hill score to make their second win from two secure, although Exeter’s late penalty ensured the visitors left with two bonus points.
BBC Sport reported that Bath now have a maximum 10 points from their opening two league victories. The result also offered a measure of revenge for last season’s semi-final at the same ground, when Exeter had recovered from a 16-point interval deficit to win by a point.
Bath build a commanding first-half advantage
Bath’s opening quarter gave Exeter a difficult position to recover from. Cameron Redpath intercepted a Harvey Skinner pass and ran in from inside his own half, before scrum-half Bernard van der Linde exploited a gap in the visiting defence to make it 14-0 after Finn Russell converted both tries.
Exeter replied after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s powerful running created space for Stephen Varney to score. Yet Bath regained control when van der Linde and Ewan Richards combined in broken play before Dan du Preez forced his way over from close range.
Exeter hooker Jack Yeandle then crossed from a driving line-out after Bath mishandled the restart. But Russell supplied Bath’s fourth try before half-time, using a dummy and his pace to finish the move and convert his own score for a 26-10 lead.
That sequence was important beyond the scoreline. Bath had the try bonus point in place at the break, while Exeter faced the task of chasing a three-score deficit against a side that had made a rapid start to the season.
Chiefs turn the match around after the break
Exeter’s response was emphatic. Josh Iosefa-Scott scored from close range after a powerful attack, before Feyi-Waboso crossed following a floated Skinner pass. Henry Slade converted both tries and reduced the gap to two points.
The visitors then took the lead for the first time when former Bath centre Will Butt broke through midfield and supplied Feyi-Waboso for his second try. Sky Sports and the Guardian reported that Exeter had turned a 16-point half-time deficit into a 31-26 advantage midway through the second half.
Feyi-Waboso’s two tries were central to that revival, while Exeter’s four tries guaranteed an attacking bonus point. Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, said his side’s intent and physicality had represented a substantial improvement on their opening-weekend loss to Gloucester. He said the display had shown the club had a team and a foundation on which to build.
Bath’s bench helps restore control
Bath’s decisive response came as Exeter’s Varney was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on while trying to prevent a pass reaching Joe Cokanasiga near the line. The referee awarded a penalty try, taking Bath back in front.
With Exeter reduced to 14 players, replacement flanker Hill then powered over. Russell’s conversion gave Bath a more comfortable margin, though Skinner landed a late penalty to bring Exeter within six points and secure the losing bonus point.
Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan said his side had begun well before Exeter dominated the third quarter. He credited Bath’s eight replacements with making a significant difference as the hosts finished strongly, describing the match as a collective 23-man effort.
The Guardian also reported that Jaco Coetzee returned after nearly two years out, while Will Stuart was back in action, with Van Graan highlighting their impact from the bench. Their return added to the practical value of Bath’s result: the home side maintained its perfect early record while navigating a match in which Exeter exposed considerable attacking threat.
For Exeter, the defeat was a second in succession, but the two bonus points reflected the scale of their recovery and ensured their performance was not empty-handed. For Bath, five points and top spot were the immediate reward for finding an answer when a match that appeared under control had swung sharply against them.