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The Prem: Bath 40-34 Exeter: Bath beat Chiefs in 11-try thriller


With Russell converting his own try, it left an identical half-time score to that sunny June afternoon and just as they did three months ago, Rob Baxter’s side came storming back and within 15 minutes, they had turned a 16-point deficit into a five-point advantage.

A powerful drive by Kane James punctured a hole in Bath’s defence with Iosefa-Scott eventually able to pick and go for the prop’s second try in two games.

Then it was Feyi-Waboso’s turn to come to the party as he cut a devastating line from outside to in after a huge floated pass from Skinner found him on the touchline.

And his second try arrived thanks to great support play after ex-Bath centre Will Butt danced his way through a gap in midfield to open up the game.

But unlike last time, Bath found a response as their reinforcements from the bench added grunt. Redpath spilled the ball with the line beckoning but as they kept the pressure on, Varney could not resist putting a hand out to stop a pass reaching Joe Cokanasiga and a try in the corner.

The penalty try was awarded and the Italy number nine sin-binned and with a man extra, replacement flanker Hill bulldozed his way to the line and with Russell adding the extras, they had more than a one-score cushion.

Henry Slade missed one penalty to reduce the gap to six points, but Skinner stepped up in the 79th minute from the 40-metre line as Exeter pragmatically made sure they collected a losing bonus point to go with one for scoring four tries, while Bath have a maximum 10 from their two opening wins.

Bath: Donoghue; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, de Glanville; Russell, van der Linde; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels (capt), Richards, Pepper, du Preez.

Replacements: Frost, Kirk, Griffin, Hill, Reid, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Coetzee.

Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Butt, Wyatt; Skinner, Varney; Burger, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Wilson, Jenkins (capt), E Roots, James, Fisilau.

Replacements: Gulley, Goodrick-Clarke, Tchumbadze, Beckerleg, Worley Brady, Wolstenholme, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush.

Sin-bin: Varney (61)

Referee: Luke Pearce



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