Bath hold off Exeter fightback for dramatic win

The Prem.

Bath (26) 33

Obano, Barbeary, Carreras, Lawrence, and Green Cons: Russell 4

Exeter (14) 26

In the final second, Arthur Green scored as Bath fought back from a shocking fightback, in which Exeter had overturned a 26-0 deficit to draw level.

After Campbell Ridl received a 20-minute red card just two minutes into the game, Exeter were soon four tries down.

Beno Obano, Alfie Barbeary, Santiago Carreras, and Ollie Lawrence gave Bath the lead.

However, with the ball still in play in the final seconds of the match, Bath took the spoils thanks to tries from Joseph Dweba and Ollie Woodburn to close the gap before the break. With momentum still present, Greg Fisilau and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored to make it 26-26.

With the victory, Bath overcame Exeter by two points in a tight Prem top four match to take the lead over Northampton’s subsequent encounter with Harlequins.

When Ridl was sent off for kicking Henry Arundell out in the air against Exeter seven days prior to their disappointing outing against Northampton, Bath were beaten for the first time in more than a year.

When Louie Hennessey, who was playing for Arundell during a head injury assessment, cantered down the wing and passed to Carreras to run over unchallenged for his first Prem try for the club, Bath was soon leading 21-0.

On their bonus-point fourth try, Ben Spencer passed Lawrence to score on the overlap before Exeter were back to their full complement.

However, Rob Baxter’s team have transformed this season and showed promise in bridging the 12-point deficit.

When Exeter’s line-out was as close as they could go, hooker Dweba barrelled over and Henry Slade superbly placed his boot in the corner with a long pass to Woodburn, who had the opportunity to score in the corner.

And a string of penalties gave them a head start in this game, with Feyi-Waboso scoring before Fisilau broke through to score to level the score and turn the situation around.

Johann van Graan, the rugby head at Bath, said:

In terms of quality, those first 28 minutes are as good as we’ve played.

We’ve conceded two penalties, and Henry Slade kicks us twice from the try line, five yards away. Five yards from their try line, Exeter are a top-notch team.

On 31-14, Luke Pearce made the appropriate call, and we had the opportunity to go three tries up again, but they kept fighting back.

What I’m most pleased about is that we got the ball back from the kickoff [before Green’s try] and kept the ball for 38 phases, scoring right next to the sticks, that’s how you want to end a game.

Rob Baxter, Exeter’s rugby director, said:

“We are both in the top four and coming away with two points, you would say we must have had a pretty effective day,” I said to you before.

It resembled watching “The Great Escape.” Although I am aware that Steve McQueen won’t be able to cross the barbed wire, I will continue to watch the game tonight.

I’m going to be watching those 30-odd pick games, and I know they won’t, but I’m still going to have to watch them, to put it in perspective.

Replacements: Green, Green, Du Toit, Roux, Underhill, Carr-Smith, Hennessey, Tuipulotu, Kirk, Du Toit, and Roux.

Exeter: Feyi-Waboso, Feyi-Waboso, Feyi-Waboso, Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Rigg, Ridl, Skinner, Varney, Sio, Dweba, Tchumbadze, Jenkins (c), Zambonin, Hooper, E Roots, Fisilau,

Replacements: John, Goodrick-Clarke, J Roots, Tuima, James, Chapman, Haydon-Wood, and Yeandle.

Red card (20 minute): Ridl (2)