Bath edge Exeter 40-34 in 11-try thriller, avenging semi-final loss
Bath beat Exeter Chiefs 40-34 in the Premiership, a match that produced 11 tries combined. The win offered some revenge for Exeter's dramatic comeback victory in last season's semi-final.
Bath made it two wins from two in the new Premiership season, defeating Exeter Chiefs 40-34 in a thrilling, try-laden contest that saw 11 tries scored between the two sides.
The game echoed a meeting three months earlier, when Exeter overturned a 16-point half-time deficit to beat Bath by a single point in last season's semi-final, a result that cost Bath their title.
This time Bath started fast, scoring twice early, including one try from an interception, and crossed the line four times before half-time to secure a bonus point and a 26-10 lead. Exeter also scored twice in the opening half.
After the break, Exeter stormed back, scoring three tries within 15 minutes, two of them from a young winger, to turn the deficit into a lead. But unlike the previous meeting, Bath responded. After an Exeter defender was shown a yellow card for a deliberate infringement that denied a certain try, a penalty try was awarded, and Bath used their numerical advantage to score again and move clear.
Exeter's fly-half added a late penalty to secure a losing bonus point on top of the point earned for four tries, but could not deny Bath the win. Bath now sit on a maximum 10 points from their two opening fixtures, while Exeter have suffered back-to-back defeats.
