Bath beat Exeter at Sandy Park to boost their Premiership play-off hopes

Bath Secure Victory Over Exeter at Sandy Park

Bath Rugby gained revenge for their Champions Cup loss at Exeter and dealt a blow to the Chiefs’ Premiership play-off hopes as they secured a 28-12 victory at Sandy Park.

Alfie Barbeary and Ben Spencer put Bath 14-0 up at the break, with Exeter’s Tom Cairns having a try disallowed. Olly Woodburn pulled a try back for Exeter, but Max Ojomoh and Miles Reid scored to secure Bath a bonus point.

Stu Townsend got a second Exeter try late in the game, but it was not enough to earn the hosts any points. The win sees Bath move closer to league leaders Northampton, while Exeter’s play-off hopes take a hit as they remain in sixth place.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter admitted that his side struggled to deal with Bath’s tactics, saying, “They got under our skin, and fair play to them. It was one of those games where we played some lovely rugby, some exciting rugby, but ultimately not effective rugby.”

Meanwhile, Bath head coach Johann van Graan praised his team’s performance, calling it an “80-minute performance against a very good side.” He added, “The Premiership is so tight, so for us to get five points and they go away with nothing is massive.”

The victory marks Bath’s first league win at Sandy Park in eight years and sets them up well for the remaining games of the season. With three games left to play, Bath will be looking to build on this result and secure their place in the top four.