Exeter Chiefs strengthened their Premiership playoff hopes with a 35-12 bonus-point victory over Bath at Sandy Park. The win, secured through second-half tries from Paul Brown-Bampoe, Len Ikitau, and Campbell Ridl, moved Exeter five points clear of fifth-placed Bristol with three regular-season fixtures remaining.
First-Half Dominance
With a stiff north-easterly wind at their backs, Exeter built a 13-0 lead inside the opening quarter. Henry Slade kicked two penalties before Josh Iosefa-Scott powered over from close range, converted by Harvey Skinner. Bath's early struggles were compounded when lock Quinn Roux received a 20-minute red card for a head-on-head collision with Slade, a decision that drew ironic comparisons to recent controversies in Bordeaux.
Bath eventually responded through a maul try from former Exeter hooker Dan Frost, but Finn Russell's conversion hit the post, leaving the visitors trailing 13-5 at halftime. Despite being reduced to 14 men, Bath remained in contention, with the wind now in their favor for the second half.
Second-Half Surge
Exeter seized control early in the second half after Bath fullback Tom de Glanville was yellow-carded for a one-handed knockdown. Exploiting the numerical advantage, the Chiefs worked Brown-Bampoe over on the left flank, extending the lead to 13 points. Bath fought back through Sam Underhill, who scored from a driving maul, and Russell's conversion cut the deficit to six points.
However, Exeter's resilience shone through. Despite Ridl's sin-binning, the Chiefs defended stoutly and launched a counter-attack. A line break from Dafydd Jenkins set up Ikitau's try, and Ridl redeemed himself by crossing for the bonus-point score, capping a fine individual performance. Slade added a late penalty to seal the win.
Key Moments and Analysis
The match was notable for its physicality and head-injury protocols. Roux's dismissal was a turning point, but Exeter's discipline and defensive organization under pressure were decisive. Director of rugby Rob Baxter praised his side's mentality: "A poor result today would have felt like the season petering out. That's dead now."
Bath's head of rugby Johann van Graan acknowledged the playoff race will go down to the wire: "There were some big results on Saturday and obviously a big result today. It's going down to the first weekend in June."
The victory was Exeter's first in seven league meetings against Bath and came amid speculation of a multimillion-dollar takeover by US investors. With Leicester and Saracens also winning, the Chiefs remain in fourth place but have momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
