men’s rugby
gallagher premiership league
Johann van Graan, the rugby director for Bath, expressed his delight after securing an additional five points. He watched his team triumph in a high-octane West Country derby featuring 11 tries, securing a 40-34 victory over Exeter at the Rec to climb to the summit of the Gallagher Premiership standings.
Although Bath appeared to be cruising with a 26-10 lead at halftime, a fighting comeback by the Chiefs, spearheaded by England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, saw them surge ahead 33-31 during the middle of the second half.
Nevertheless, an intentional knock-on by Exeter scrum-half Stephen Varney turned the tide of the match, resulting in a penalty try for Bath and a yellow card for Varney.
Tries for Bath came courtesy of Cam Redpath, Dan du Preez, Bernard van der Linde, Ted Hill, and Finn Russell, alongside the awarded penalty try. Russell also successfully kicked four conversions.
For Exeter, Feyi-Waboso crossed the whitewash twice, while Jack Yeandle, Josh Iosefa-Scott, and Varney each added a try. Henry Slade kicked three conversions, and Harvey Skinner slotted a penalty late in the game.
Match Summary 
Van Graan remarked: “Our goal was a strong start, which we managed to do to establish a solid lead by halftime, though they took control of the third quarter.
“We subsequently introduced our substitutes, who clearly provided a major boost, enabling us to finish on a high note and claim five crucial points in a contest between two top-tier teams.
“Welcoming Jacob Coetzee back to the pitch was a major highlight. After nearly two years on the sidelines, both he and the returning Will Stuart made a significant difference.
“A critical first-half scrum saw us push them back with immense power. It marked a major shift in momentum, allowing us to kick for the corner and convert it into a try.”
Exeter seemed on track at one point to claim a third straight win against their local rivals, but ultimately fell short. Nonetheless, director of rugby Rob Baxter was highly encouraged by their vastly upgraded display following their heavy 45-24 home loss to Gloucester the previous week.
He noted: “I am incredibly proud of our determination and physical presence, as we were ready for battle from the opening whistle.
“Despite finding ourselves trailing by 16 points at the break, I felt that scoreline was harsh because the half was highly competitive for the most part.
“It didn’t necessarily go against the run of play, but they managed to score two of their tries from situations where we were on the attack and the ball bounced in their favor.
“The yellow card naturally had a profound impact on the outcome, but even with that setback, minor improvements in our second-half execution could have pushed us over the finish line for a win.
“Even so, it represents a huge step in the right direction compared to last week’s underwhelming display and provides us with a strong platform to build upon.”
