A festive cracker this used to be surely now not however a relieved Exeter would now not specifically care. The Chiefs are again into the highest half of of the Premiership desk and the finer main points of this underwhelming sport will quickly be forgotten. Bath have now failed to overcome their Devon-based competitors in seven makes an attempt courting again to 2019 and tries for Dave Ewers and Henry Slade have maintained that one-sided pattern.
Had Bath nicked a win proper on the finish, regardless that, Exeter may just now not have complained too loudly. Having led 20-10 coming into the general quarter, they allowed Bath again into the competition by way of a close-range take a look at from Neil Annett and continued quite a lot of overdue jitters prior to a last-gasp turnover on their very own line denied the guests the rest greater than a shedding bonus level.
Bath, who misplaced their dazed captain Tom Dunn early on, didn’t play a lot rugby however they did more and more organize to dictate the tempo of a sport which infrequently touched nice heights of class. Sam Underhill, again are compatible once more after a long lay-off, loved an lively hour again on the coalface and, together with his lend a hand, the guests annoyed, squeezed and suffocated an Exeter aspect with their defensive solidity, power across the fringes and a tight kick chase.
The consequence used to be very a lot a sport for the purists. Bath have simply signed the grasp showman Finn Russell on a reported seven-figure wage to take them to every other stage subsequent season however you’ll simplest hope the Scottish global persuades the control that his new aspect’s gameplan would get pleasure from a bit of extra aptitude and innovation.
The first half of used to be specifically exhausting paintings. Not content material with hoofing it into the clouds from their very own half of, the guests had been nonetheless opting to field kick 25 meters from the Exeter tryline, obviously averse to the type of fast paced, multi-phase contest through which the Chiefs specialise. For any individual reared on Bath’s high-octane attacking rugby within the Eighties it used to be deeply dispiriting.
It made for a stop-start first half of, ruled territorially by means of the hosts whose period lead used to be totally deserved. While Bath scored the sport’s opening take a look at via Joe Cokanasiga, courtesy of a neat tap-down by means of a jumping Orlando Bailey out broad, the Chiefs’ forwards had been in functional temper and there used to be no preventing the lately prolific Ewers from shut differ after 16 mins.
It used to be a credit score to Bath’s well-organised defence, then again, that it took a charged-down field kick at the Bath line 8 mins prior to half-time to place Exeter within the field seat. Slade used to be the thankful scorer however in a different way it used to be in large part a sport of fierce undertaking with valuable few blank breaks.
The orgy of gradual ball and aerial ping pong endured, with Bath changing the boot-happy Louis Schreuder with every other professional kicker in Ben Spencer. When a downcast Cameron Redpath went off injured after 54 mins there have been the ones within the press field questioning if he may well be affected by power boredom.
Then once more, profitable video games of recent skilled rugby is never about good looks or grace. Bath’s modus operandi would possibly not stretch the limits of creativity invariably however they’ve spent lengthy sufficient within the league’s basement this season to understand the price of a gritty away win in opposition to the chances. In the tip Annett’s take a look at used to be now not sufficient however his aspect at the moment are appreciably tougher to overcome than they had been 3 months in the past.