Baxter tells gritty Exeter ‘destiny is in our hands’
Exeter 29 Bath 10
Exeter Chiefs, an enduring and vivid riposte to those who would do away with promotion and relegation, became the first side into the play-offs with this trademark gritty, grafting, occasionally wayward bonus-point win over Bath.
Nine years after they came up into the Premiership, they have made the knockout stages for the fourth season in succession, testimony to their resolve, belief and togetherness.
If there had been no pathway into the elite, Exeter would have been also-rans, consigned to life below stairs. It would have been a loss to the game for they are a splendid institution, now nine points clear of second-placed Saracens with five rounds to go and almost certainly assured of a home draw in the semi-finals as they pursue a second Premiership title, two years after first claiming the crown.
The Chiefs certainly have the personnel to succeed, as well as the infrastructure. Sandy Park on match day may not yet be on Tottenham Hotspur’s level, but it is nonetheless a fine experience with the ground packed and the place abuzz long before kick-off. Crowd and team are as one, an entity built on passion and assured of its own identity. They are what Bath used to be, perennially up among the challengers. The requirement now is to hone their form and set their sights high.
“We don’t want to splutter through the last five rounds,” said Exeter’s’ director of rugby Rob Baxter, who is giving his Test contingent an immediate week’s break. “We want to build a destiny to a home semi-final and lifting trophies. You do that by how you look, by building belief in yourselves and disbelief in the opposition.”
Bath, for their part, were initially worthy yesterday, only to fade in the second half. They lack the cohesion and consistency that Exeter have in spades. Wing Joe Cokanasiga was well shackled, losing the ball in his only meaningful run. It would help if it were passed to him more often.
There was, at least, a welcome return to action for England flanker Sam Underhill following ankle surgery. But Bath now face a fight to cement a place in Europe.
Even if Europe continues to bedevil Exeter, with them again failing to make the quarter-finals, they certainly know what it takes to succeed on the domestic front. They are all on-message, know the game plan and, more importantly, aware of their role in the grand scheme of things. As with Wales, so with Exeter, where feisty defence is the order of the day, as they kept Bath at bay either side of half-time.
Exeter took time to find their range, primarily because Bath came at them, determined to impose themselves and to atone for their own disappointments this season. Make that the past few seasons.
There was plenty of spark and energy in Bath’s early play, from the slinky running of former sevens player Ruaridh Mcconnochie on the wing to the guile and glide of Jonathan Joseph in the centre and on to the clever interventions of No8 Zach Mercer, who, apart from one dropped pass in a promising position, stood out. He was only prevented from scoring on one occasion by a superb claw-back tackle from Jack Nowell.
Bath were not to be denied, though, after sharp build-up work from Joseph and flanker Tom Ellis created the position from which prop Nathan Catt was able to plough through and touch down. The visitors might have been compromised in the front row by an early injury to tighthead Henry Thomas, but they made the best of it by taking that lead in the 15th minute, although his absence was to tell with time.
Exeter were itching to break free and show what they had to offer. They were ready to pounce on anything, so when Bath full-back Tom Homer spilt the ball in the 25th minute, they were able to flick the switch and go for broke.
Nowell and Santiago Cordero worked the right flank before the ball came back to the left, where flyhalf Joe Simmonds (a late replacement for Gareth Steenson, who withdrew in the warm-up with a calf problem) drew the defence to send former Bath centre Ollie Devoto over the line.
There was more to come. Two minutes before half-time, fine inter-
action between Dave Dennis and Dave Ewers opened up the Bath defence. When play moved back across the field, a neat bit of work by Don Armand paved the way to the line for hooker Jack Yeandle.
In the second half Exeter turned the screw up front, their scrum winning a penalty try for their efforts on the hour as the Bath pack caved in under pressure. The pursuit of the bonus point was somewhat frantic, but finally sealed when wing Olly Woodburn went over in the corner five minutes from time. It was job done.