Bath hold off Exeter fightback for dramatic win

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Image caption,

Exeter were denied a thrilling comeback as Bath took the win with the game's final play

BySophie Hurcom

BBC Sport England, West, at the Recreation Ground

The Prem

Bath (26) 33

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

Exeter (14) 26

Tries: Dweba, Woodburn, Fisilau, Feyi-Waboso Cons: Slade 3

Arthur Green struck in the final minute as Bath repelled an astonishing fightback in which Exeter had overturned a 26-0 deficit to draw level.

Exeter quickly found themselves four tries down after winger Campbell Ridl was shown a 20-minute red card just two minutes in.

Bath pounced, scoring through Beno Obano, Alfie Barbeary, Santiago Carreras and Ollie Lawrence.

Yet Exeter hit back with tries from Joseph Dweba and Ollie Woodburn to close the gap before the break and with momentum continuing their way Greg Fisilau and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored to make it 26-26, only for Bath to take the spoils in the final seconds of the game after a relentless 38 phases with the ball.

Their seventh Prem win of the season saw Bath move two points clear of Exeter in a tight top four.

After a lacklustre outing against Northampton seven days earlier when Bath were beaten for the first time at home in more than a year, they were given a helping hand against in-form Exeter when Ridl was sent off for taking Henry Arundell out in the air.

Obano crossed from close range before Barbeary doubled their lead, spinning over after more sustained pressure on the Chiefs' tryline.

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Image caption,

Ridl's challenge on Arundell saw Exeter a player down almost immediately from the start

It was soon 21-0, Bath relentlessly cutting through Exeter's defence when Louie Hennessey, on 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.

Ben Spencer passed to Lawrence on the overlap to score in the corner on his 50th appearance for their bonus-point fourth try, before Exeter were even back to their full complement.

But Rob Baxter's side have been transformed this season and showed their mettle to close the gap to 12 points before the break.

Hooker Dweba barrelled over and when Henry Slade excellently found the corner with his boot for the second consecutive time to put Exeter's line-out as close as they could go, the ball was recycled wide and a long pass to Woodburn enabled him score in the corner.

Spencer had a try chalked off early in the second half for an obstruction in the build-up by lock Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, on his Prem debut, and Bath did not challenge the Exeter line again until the game's death.

In their first game of the campaign, Exeter fought back from 26-0 down to draw 33-33 with Northampton Saints in a thriller at Franklin's Gardens.

And a string of penalties gave them a grip on this game, with Fisilau breaking through to score before Feyi-Waboso touched down in the corner to draw level and turn the game on its head.

But it was not to be for the Chiefs - who still left with two points - as replacement Green was Bath's hero of the day, taking the spoils after a 38 phases of play under a pile of players on the line with the final play of the game.

'Like watching The Great Escape' - reaction

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said:

"That first 28 minutes, in terms of quality, that's as well as we've played.

"We've conceded two penalties and Sladey [Henry Slade] kicks us five yards away from our try line twice, so credit to him. Exeter are a quality team, they backed themselves five yards from their try line.

"We had an opportunity on 31-14 [but] try disallowed, the right call made by Luke Pearce, we had opportunity to go three tries up again and they keep fighting back.

"What I'm most pleased about is we got the ball back from the kick-off [before Green's try] and keep the ball for 38 phases and score right next to the sticks, that's how you want to finish a game.

"A high quality game by two teams and very glad to get the five points."

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said:

"If you had said to me beforehand, coming away to Bath, we are both in the top four and we are going to come away with two points you would say we must have had a pretty effective day.

"It was like watching 'The Great Escape'. I'm going to watch the game again tonight and know Steve McQueen isn't going to get over the barbed wire, but I'm still going to watch it.

"I'm going to be watching those 30-odd pick and goes at the end going, 'someone's going to drop it in a minute', and I know they don't but I'm still going to have to watch it and that's how to best describe that game.

"It was compelling viewing but we haven't quite got there in the end."

Bath: Carreras; Arundell, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Sela, Opoku-Gyamfi, Molony, Hill, Pepper, Barbeary

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

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

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

Red card (20 minute): Ridl (2)

Referee: Luke Pearce