Exeter Chiefs 18 Bath Rugby 6

Having taken an age to claim their first victory over Bath in the professional era last season, Exeter Chiefs made it back-to-back successes against their arch rivals as they maintained their unbeaten start to this season’s LV= Cup campaign.

It was back in March – at the 12th time of asking – that Rob Baxter’s side finally banished their Bath bogey when they claimed a 22-19 semi-final victory at the Recreation Ground.

Not only did the result ensure the Devon club booked a home final – which they would win a week later for their first piece of major silverware – but it signalled a potential turning of the tides.

Eight months on from that triumph and the Chiefs were celebrating once again against their near neighbours as second half tries from Carl Rimmer and Moray Low, coupled with a further eight points from fly-half Gareth Steenson, ensured an unblemished start to their title defence.

Having kicked off their LV campaign seven days earlier with a narrow 28-27 victory over Gloucester, it was a much-changed Chiefs line-up that took to the field for this latest encounter. Aussie skipper Dean Mumm was the sole survivor from that triumph as coach Baxter rang the changes in personnel.

Bath, who themselves kicked off last week with a handsome victory over London Welsh, were also able to parade a powerful array of talents that included internationals such as Henson, Matt Banahan, Henry Thomas and Peter Stringer, as well as a first return to Sandy Park for full-back Luke Arscott following his summer departure.

And it was Welsh star Henson who opened the scoring inside the opening three minutes, landing a routine penalty after Mumm had strayed offside trying to defend a succession of Bath attacks. Moments later and Henson was looking to double his tally, this time trying an audacious drop-goal chance from just inside the Chiefs half.

This time, though, Mumm was quickly on the scene, charging down his effort and leading the subsequent chase to the loose ball.

The Chiefs did their best to claw back the narrow deficit with a string of attacks themselves, but a combination of stout Bath defence and a flurry of handling errors was dampening their advances during the opening quarter.

At the other end, Arscott’s grubber kick in behind following a rehearsed Bath move almost paid dividends for Banahan, but England international Jack Nowell was back to cover the danger and the chance came and went in an instance.

As the half ticked by, so the contest continued to offer little in terms of excitement. Banahan almost capitalised for the visitors when he charged down a box kick from Chiefs scrum-half Will Chudley; while at the other end Nowell was almost the beneficiary of Exeter’s best move to date when he was bundled into touch just yards from the Bath line.

The Chiefs, playing in front of a record home crowd of 11,785, continued to press forward in attack as first Chudley created havoc off a line-out move; then Messrs Francis, Welch and Hill all looked to make inroads with raids deep inside the Bath 22.

Mike Ford’s side, however, were holding firm with an impressive defensive rearguard action, eventually turning over possession and leading a counter of their own through right winger Olly Woodburn.

Eventually, though, the home pressure finally told as fly-half Steenson dispatched a sublime touchline penalty to draw the sides level after Welsh referee Craig Evans had pulled up Bath for not releasing at the tackle just seconds earlier.

The Chiefs had further chances before the break – most notably from two close-range line-out moves – but again Bath repelled their advances to leave the game deadlocked at the break.

Half time: Exeter Chiefs 3 Bath Rugby 3