Exeter Chiefs fail to beat Bath again
Bath 21 Exeter Chiefs 16
The long wait for Exeter Chiefs to record a top flight win over Bath will continue into the New Year at least after a kicking masterclass from fly-half George Ford settled a pulsating Westcountry derby at a packed Recreation Ground.
Bath’s young playmaker produced a faultless display of goalkicking as he not only landed six penalties, but also delivered a sumptuous second half drop-goal to ultimately sink the brave resistance of Rob Baxter’s visitors.
In a nip-and-tuck contest which saw the lead change countless times, the Chiefs – who countered with tries from Damian Welch and Dean Mumm, plus two penalties from Gareth Steenson – again fell agonisingly short at the final hurdle.
Exeter’s loss – their sixth in seven Premiership meetings between the two clubs – means they have slipped to sixth in the standings; whilst Bath’s triumph means they will head into the two-week European break safely positioned in the division’s top three.
Undone by leaders Saracens last time out, Baxter made three changes to his starting line-up for this latest encounter with their closest neighbours. Up front, Ben Moon was handed a start in the front row at the expense of Brett Sturgess, whilst Jason Shoemark returned at centre and Luke Arscott came in for his first league start of the season at full-back.
Likewise, Bath also tinkered with their formation from that which saw them to a comfortable 28-5 win at London Wasps. International stars Horacio Agulla and Francois Louw headed up a quartet of changes, alongside Anthony Watson and Dominic Day.
Back at The Rec just a fortnight after Bath took the honours in the LV= Cup meeting, the Chiefs were determined to ensure there would be no repeat of their sluggish start on that occasion. As expected the early exchanges were frenetic and largely restricted to an arm wrestle between the respective packs.
However, a powerful scrum from the visitors not only repelled Bath’s early advances, but also won them a crucial penalty from which Steenson was able to clear the danger. From the resultant line-out, a clever ball off the top from Dave Ewers released Jack Nowell, who in turn turned on the after burners and scorched clear of the home defence. With Bath scrambling in defence, referee Matt Carley spotted a no-arm tackle on the Cornishman and the Chiefs responded in kind as Steenson landed an early kick.
Not that Exeter’s lead lasted all that long as Ford countered just minutes later with a penalty of his own after Chiefs prop Hoani Tui was pulled up for offside following a scramble in midfield.
It was, however, proving a gripping contest as the Chiefs looked to run their rivals ragged with wave upon wave of attacks. Bath, though, were offering stubborn resistance to the visiting threat with South African star Louw often at the heart of their defensive duties.
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*Pictures: Exeter Rugby Club / Pinnacle Photo Agency
