Image source: Shutterstock
Image caption: Len Ikitau (right) scored his first Premiership try for Exeter
Exeter (13) 35
Tries: Iosefa-Scott, Brown-Bampoe, Ikitau, Ridl
Conversions: Skinner, Slade (2)
Penalties: Slade (3)
Bath (5) 12
Tries: Frost, Underhill
Conversions: Frost
Reigning champions Bath squandered the opportunity to climb to the top of the Premiership after suffering a 35-12 defeat at Exeter.
The Chiefs, playing their first match since club members approved an American-backed takeover, raced to a 6-0 lead after Bath’s Quinn Roux received a 20-minute red card for a head-on-head collision with Henry Slade.
Josh Iosefa-Scott soon crossed for the hosts, but Dan Frost responded as Bath performed well despite being a man down.
Both sides had a player sent to the sin-bin within the first 15 minutes of the second half. Paul Brown-Bampoe extended Exeter’s lead before Sam Underhill pulled a try back for Bath.
However, Australia international Len Ikitau’s try with 15 minutes remaining sealed the win for Exeter, and Campbell Ridl sprinted over with five minutes left to secure a bonus point.
This was Exeter’s first league victory over Bath since December 2022, lifting them five points above Bristol into fourth place. Meanwhile, the champions failed to capitalize on Northampton’s heavy derby loss at Leicester on Saturday, remaining in second place, two points behind the Saints.
Image source: Shutterstock
Image caption: Campbell Ridl scored his 15th try in all competitions this season for Exeter
With a strong wind at their backs, Slade kicked two penalties before Roux was dismissed after colliding with Slade as the Exeter fly-half gathered a high ball.
Four minutes later, Exeter broke through—Iosefa-Scott forcing his way over from close range after Ikitau’s nimble line break.
But Bath impressively weathered the remainder of the period with a man down and struck back effectively. Their forwards won a penalty, and from the resulting lineout, former Exeter favorite Frost steered the maul over the line.
Although Exeter had the better of possession with the wind in their favor, small errors repeatedly curbed their attacking intent, leaving them with an eight-point lead at halftime.
Bath suffered another setback when Tom de Glanville was sent to the sin-bin five minutes into the second half. Exeter capitalized almost immediately as Brown-Bampoe finished a flowing move in the left corner for his 10th try of the season.
Bath again refused to buckle. When Campbell Ridl was yellow-carded for a head-to-head clash with Finn Russell with 26 minutes left, Underhill went over in the corner after the visitors’ forwards powered in from a close-range lineout.
But Exeter finally created a match-winning gap with 15 minutes remaining, as half an hour with 14 men began to take its toll on Bath. Ikitau darted over from a couple of meters after the hosts won a penalty on their opponents’ line following a Dafydd Jenkins break.
There was still time for Exeter’s young wing prospect Ridl to showcase his pace as he blazed through the Bath defense late on, before Slade kicked his third penalty in the closing moments.
**‘That has flipped season on its head’ – Baxter**
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport:
“I think we got a lot right today, and the way the lads went out around that second half was fantastic.
“It was a second half almost built for Bath, with the score line pretty tight and a big breeze heading straight down the field.
“When we had to defend, we put in decent defensive sets, but I think what we did really well was keep the tempo of the game where we wanted it to be.
“For the first 20 minutes, the game was played at our tempo, then there were about 20 minutes where Bath seized control and it got played at their tempo. I think for a fair bit of the second half, there were only spells where it wasn’t about us.
“In the context of the season and the last three or four weeks, it’s huge.
“I think a poor result for us could have really set us back, but this one has flipped the season on its head.”