Bath 33-26 Exeter Chiefs: Ecstasy for the Prem champions as Arthur Green snatches it

Bath ……………………………… 33pts

Tries: Obano 7, Barbeary 12, Carreras 14, Lawrence 20, Green 79

Conversions: Russell 8, 13, 15, 80

Exeter Chiefs ……………… 26pts

Tries: Dweba 33, Woodburn 37, Fisilau 67, Feyi-Waboso 74

Conversions: Slade 34, 38, 75

Hell hath no fury than Bath outscored. A week after losing their home record to Northampton Saints, they tore the tightest defence in the Premiership, Exeter Chiefs, into pieces in bagging the quickest bonus try point of the season.

But the 19-minute salvo was so nearly not enough against an Exeter side that has mounted a number of comebacks this season.

The Chiefs had levelled by the final minutes before a 38-phase move ended with Arthur Green delivering victory for Bath.

The champions scored their four tries while Exeter were a player down. Wing Campbell Ridl, playing in only his third Premiership match, was on the sidelines having been sent off following three minutes he will not want to remember.

Match action

He knocked on in the opening minute, five metres from Bath’s line after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso had taken the kick-off when Bath mistimed Ted Hill’s lift and then, as he chased Stephen Varney’s box-kick, he overran the ball and clattered into Henry Arundell, who fell face-first to the ground.

Arundell played on for a minute before being taken off for a head injury assessment, which he passed.

As he was being questioned, Bath exploited their numerical advantage with a clinical ruthlessness that left the Chiefs exposed.

Prop Beno Obano scored their first try following a driving lineout and Alfie Barbeary added a second four minutes later after Finn Russell had feigned kicking a penalty to touch and launched an attack.

Exeter were not given time to handle dealing with their reduced number in the backline.

Barbeary, who carried with purpose throughout, ran the restart back at Exeter and initiated a move that ended with Santi Carreras scoring after Louie Hennessey’s gallop and pass.

Started to turn

Exeter could not get a toehold. After conceding their sixth penalty of the match, Bath drove another lineout and Ollie Lawrence, on his 50th appearance for the club, worked his way into space on the left wing.

Bath looked like scoring a fifth when Hill clattered through Slade’s challenge after 23 minutes, but Exeter won their first penalty of the match at the breakdown and with Dan John coming on for Ridl, the match started to turn.

It was Bath whose discipline melted as Exeter started to apply pressure.

Harvey Skinner overcooked a penalty to touch, but the Chiefs soon had another opportunity, which Slade nailed and hooker Joseph Dweba forced his way over.

Four minutes later, Olly Woodburn scored in the corner against his former club to make it 26-14 at half-time.

Second half

Exeter had come back from 20 points down to win at Sale in November and with Feyi-Waboso and Greg Fisilau becoming prominent, they showed belief in a cagey third quarter.

Bath were awarded a try when Ben Spencer finished off Cameron Redpath’s break, but it was ruled out for debut lock and Italy cap Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, a large individual who occupies a lot of space, blocking prop Bachuki Tchumbadze from making a tackle.

Bath seemed to retreat, preserving what they had, and Exeter slowly came again.

They scored their third try with 13 minutes to go when Fisilau stretched out after a series of drives and were level with six to go when a 24-phase move ended with Feyi-Waboso scoring in the corner.

Bath looked stunned but found the response of champions, securing possession and taking up camp in the Exeter 22.

They kept hold of the ball, making a metre here and centimetres there with the Chiefs holding their discipline, waiting for a handling error.

Play had gone through 37 phases and time was all but up when replacement back rower Arthur Green squeezed over to transport the home crowd, and club owner Bruce Craig into ecstasy.

Hitting back: Olly Woodburn scores for Exeter Chiefs