Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Bath 41-24 Exeter

Bath 41-24 Exeter Chiefs, The Recreation Ground

Bath came up with a six-try performance as they defeated Exeter Chiefs 41-24 in the latest round of the Gallagher Premiership at The Recreation Ground on Saturday.

This is fifth win for Bath from eight games as they move to the second place in the table while Exeter slip to sixth position in the table.

Alfie Barbeary started the proceedings well for the hosts as he crashed over in the 7th minute in the middle at the back of a maul but Finn Russell missed out on the conversion. The home side extended the lead further by the 19th minute as Cameron Redpath scored in the right of the posts but this time Russell got the conversion right to make it 12-0.

The Chiefs made a strong comeback as Stu Townsend and Joe Hawkins combined to send Henry Slade over the line with the Exeter centre also following with a conversion and a penalty to ensure the teams completed the opening half with a 12-10 margin.

Bath started the second half similar to first as Ben Spencer picked the ball at the base of the scrum and exchanged passes with Joe Cokanasiga as he touched down. Russell missed out on the conversion but made amends with a penalty of his own in the 54th minute to make it 20-10.

The Chiefs clawed their way back into the game as Townsend leapt back to his feet to crash over under the posts and Slade's conversion reduced the arrears to three points but soon the scrum-half was sin-binned for cynical foul but Russell's penalty goal drifted wide with the score remaining at 20-17.

With the numerical advantage on their side, Bath punished Exeter with back to back tries from Cokanasiga and Barbeary extending their lead to 34-17 before Will Butt scored their sixth try in the 69th minute extending the gap to 41-17. Even though Ehren Painter dottoed down for the visitors in the closing stage, Bath went on to complete a convincing victory.

Team line up:

Bath: Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Stooke, Ewels, Reid, Underhill, Barbeary, Spencer (capt), Russell, Muir, Redpath, Ojomoh, Cokanasiga, Gallagher.

Reserves: Annett, Schoeman, Griffin, van Velze, Coetzee, Carr-Smith, Harris, Butt.

Exeter: Abuladze, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Pearson, Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau, Townsend, Skinner, Hammersley, Hawkins, Slade, Woodburn, Wyatt.

Reserves: Norey, Hepburn, Painter, Tuima, Davis, Armstrong, Devoto, O'Loughlin.