On a Friday night in Bath, two of English rugby's most attack-minded sides renewed a rivalry still raw from last season's semi-final heartbreak, producing 11 tries and a 40-34 result that settled, at least for now, an unfinished argument. Bath led by 16 at halftime, watched Exeter erase that advantage entirely in the second half, then found resolve through their replacements to hold on — a mirror image of the match they lost twelve months ago, but with the ending rewritten. Sport rarely offers such clean symmetry, and rarer still does a team get the chance to correct its own history on the sam
Bath gain revenge on Exeter in 11-try Premiership thriller
They'll be in a fight every single week
Mark
So Bath won 40-34, but the scoreline doesn't quite capture what happened, does it?
Mimi
Not really. It was two teams playing the same attacking game, just at different moments. Bath started ruthlessly—four tries by halftime—but Exeter came back and nearly turned it around again, just like they did in the semi-final.
Luke
Wait, they nearly did what they did three months ago? That's a big claim. They got to a five-point lead, but Bath was never actually behind in the match, right?
Mimi
True. Bath led 26-10 at halftime, and even when Exeter scored three tries in 15 minutes after the break, Bath still had the lead. It was close, but not the same as being 16 down.
Mark
What changed in the second half for Exeter?
Mimi
They just started executing. Feyi-Waboso had two tries, Iosefa-Scott scored, and they were moving the ball with real purpose. But Bath's bench came on and added physicality—Hill scored a penalty try after Varney was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.
Luke
So the turning point was actually a disciplinary moment, not a try?
Mimi
It was the moment Bath regained control, yes. With a man extra, they could impose themselves.
Mark
What does this mean for the season?
Mimi
Bath has won both their opening matches with maximum points. Exeter has lost twice but shown they can compete at this level. Both teams are playing attacking rugby, which is what the new season seems to reward.
Luke
But we don't know yet if that attacking approach actually wins trophies, do we? We're two weeks in.
Mimi
No, we don't. But it's clear that both these teams believe in it.
O Pulso
- Bath stormed to a 26-10 halftime lead with four tries, haunted by the memory of squandering an identical advantage against Exeter in last season's semi-final.
- Exeter's second-half response was ferocious — three unanswered tries in 15 minutes flipped a 16-point deficit into a five-point lead, threatening to repeat history.
- A deliberate penalty by Exeter's Varney gifted Bath a penalty try and a numerical advantage, cracking open the door for replacement flanker Ted Hill to bulldozed through it.
- Finn Russell's conversion restored Bath's breathing room, but Exeter's late penalty ensured they left with a losing bonus point and their dignity intact.
- Bath sit atop the early Premiership table with maximum points; Exeter, despite the loss, have signalled they remain a side capable of dismantling any lead at any moment.
On a Friday night in Bath, two of English rugby's most attack-minded sides renewed a rivalry still raw from last season's semi-final heartbreak, producing 11 tries and a 40-34 result that settled, at least for now, an unfinished argument. Bath led by 16 at halftime, watched Exeter erase that advantage entirely in the second half, then found resolve through their replacements to hold on — a mirror image of the match they lost twelve months ago, but with the ending rewritten. Sport rarely offers such clean symmetry, and rarer still does a team get the chance to correct its own history on the same ground.
Bath got their revenge on Exeter Chiefs on Friday night, winning 40-34 in a match that felt less like sport and more like a conversation between two teams who speak the same attacking language — and one that erased the sting of last season's semi-final, when Exeter came from 16 points down to win by a single point.
The hosts came out with intent. Cameron Redpath intercepted near his own line and sprinted the length of the field. Bernard van der Linde dummied his way over, Dan du Preez finished a move built around him, and Finn Russell dotted down after a burst of pace. Four tries, a bonus point, and a 26-10 lead before halftime — Exeter had replied through Stephen Varney and Jack Yeandle, but they were being outrun.
The second half told a different story. Within 15 minutes of the restart, Exeter had turned a 16-point deficit into a five-point lead. Josh Iosefa-Scott drove over, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso cut a devastating line from outside to in, then finished again from support play after ex-Bath centre Will Butt danced through midfield. It was the kind of rugby that explained why these two teams keep finding themselves in these moments.
Bath's bench changed the texture of the game. Varney deliberately stopped a pass reaching Joe Cokanasiga, conceding a penalty try and earning a sin-bin. With a man extra, replacement flanker Ted Hill bulldozed over, Russell converted, and Bath had breathing room. Exeter's Skinner kicked a late penalty to secure a losing bonus point, but Bath held on.
Johann van Graan called it a 23-man effort. Rob Baxter walked away almost content, certain his side would fight every week. With maximum points from two wins, Bath lead the early Premiership table — but Exeter have now twice shown they can chase down any deficit. The question is whether either side can convert all that attacking intent into silverware.
Bath got their revenge on Exeter Chiefs on Friday night, winning 40-34 in a match that felt less like sport and more like a conversation between two teams who speak the same language of attack. The victory erased the sting of last season's semi-final loss at the same ground, when Exeter came from 16 points down at halftime to steal the match by a single point. This time, with 11 tries shared between them, Bath held their nerve when it mattered.
The hosts came out with intent. Cameron Redpath intercepted near his own line and sprinted the length of the field for the opening try. Bernard van der Linde, the scrum-half, spotted space and dummied his way over. Dan du Preez finished a move that had van der Linde at its heart. By the time Finn Russell dotted down after working space with a dummy and a burst of pace, Bath had four tries and a bonus point before the interval, leading 26-10. Exeter had managed tries through Stephen Varney and hooker Jack Yeandle, but they were being outrun.
The second half told a different story. Exeter emerged with something to prove. Within 15 minutes of the restart, they had turned a 16-point deficit into a five-point lead. Josh Iosefa-Scott picked and drove after Kane James had punched a hole in Bath's defence. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the England winger, cut a devastating line from outside to in after a floated pass from Harvey Skinner found him on the touchline. His second try came from support play after Will Butt, the ex-Bath centre, danced through a gap in midfield. It was the kind of rugby that made you understand why these two teams keep finding themselves in these moments.
But Bath's bench changed the texture of the game. With reinforcements on the field, they tightened their grip. Exeter's Stephen Varney, desperate to stop a pass reaching Joe Cokanasiga in the corner, put a hand out deliberately. The penalty try was awarded, Varney was sin-binned, and with a man extra, replacement flanker Ted Hill bulldozed his way to the line. Russell converted, and suddenly Bath had breathing room.
Exeter did not go quietly. Harvey Skinner kicked a penalty from the 40-metre line in the 79th minute to ensure the visitors left with a losing bonus point and the four-try bonus as well. But Bath held on. They now have maximum points from two opening wins. Exeter, despite the loss, showed enough to suggest they are a team worth watching—they came from 16 points down three months ago, and they nearly did it again.
Johann van Graan, Bath's director of rugby, spoke about the bench making the difference, calling it a 23-man effort. Rob Baxter, Exeter's coach, seemed almost content with the loss, saying he was walking away knowing he had a team that would fight every single week. In a season where attacking rugby is the currency, both sides are spending it freely. The question now is whether either can convert that attacking intent into silverware.
Citações Notáveis
It was a crazy game of rugby once again, Bath versus Exeter. We started the game really well but then they came out punching after half-time and scored three unanswered tries.— Johann van Graan, Bath director of rugby
We'll be in a fight every single week. That's what Exeter Chiefs are about.— Rob Baxter, Exeter Chiefs director of rugby
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