Full Breakdown
Bath Clinches Premiership Top Spot with Thrilling 40-26 Derby Win Over Exeter
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Bath Rugby defeated Exeter Chiefs 40-26 in a West Country Premiership derby that featured 11 tries and earned Bath a bonus-point victory. The hosts built a 26-10 lead at halftime, extended it after a penalty try awarded when Exeter scrum-half Stephen Varney received a yellow card, and held on despite Exeter briefly taking the lead in the second half.
Background & Context
The match served as a form of revenge for Bath, who had lost to Exeter in the previous season’s Premiership semi-final by a single point after trailing 16 at half-time. Both clubs entered the game with an attacking “all-out” approach, a style that produced a high-scoring contest reminiscent of their earlier encounter.
Data & Statistics
- Final Score: Bath 40, Exeter 26
- Tries (Bath): Cameron Redpath, Bernard van der Linde, Dan du Preez, Finn Russell, penalty try, Ted Hill
- Tries (Exeter): Stephen Varney, Jack Yeandle, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Will Butt (assist) (4)
- Conversions: Finn Russell (4 for Bath), Henry Slade (3 for Exeter)
- Penalty Kicks: Harvey Skinner (Bath) added a late penalty; Slade missed a penalty for Exeter.
- Bonus Points: Both sides secured a bonus point for scoring four or more tries; Bath also earned the winning-point bonus for a margin of at least seven points.
Official Statements & Responses
Bath’s director of rugby Johann Van Graan praised the team’s early dominance and the impact of the bench, noting that the return of lock Jaco Coetzee and prop Will Stuart after long absences “made a big impact” and helped the side finish strongly. He highlighted a pivotal scrum in the first half that “shunted them backwards” and created a momentum shift.
Exeter’s director of rugby Rob Baxter expressed satisfaction with his side’s intent and physicality, acknowledging the disappointment of falling behind 16 points at the interval but emphasizing the team’s fight from the start and the “massive step forward” from the previous week’s performance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “One scrum in the first half was huge as we shunted them backwards. It was a big momentum shift as we went to the corner and scored from there.” — Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby
What’s Next
The victory moves Bath to the top of the Premiership table with two wins from two matches, while Exeter remains in contention but must regroup after consecutive defeats. Both clubs look ahead to their upcoming fixtures as the season accelerates.