Exeter lift first trophy of the season with win over Bath
EXETER have left Bath bodies strewn across the West Country this season – at Sandy Park, at the Recreation Ground, and now in Gloucester too.
For years after their promotion to the Premiership, Bath were something of a bogey team for the Devon side. No longer.
The Chiefs, appearing in their fourth successive Anglo-Welsh Cup final, secured their first piece of silverware of the season with some ease, guided by the inexperienced but authoritative half-back pairing of Stuart Townsend and Joe Simmonds.
Bath were out of sorts almost to the point of disarray in the opening 15 minutes, and Exeter capitalised with a performance of control and composure.
Exeter were also helped by a rugged showing from ex-Scotland prop Moray Low and by the strong leadership of stand-in skipper Kai Horstmann.
But Exeter skills coach Ricky Pellow, who orchestrated the Cup campaign, made it clear there are bigger targets in sight.
“We can’t be happy that we’ve won this,” he said. “We need to kick on.
“We will celebrate – there will be a few beers drunk and probably a few naked dances too! But then we need to reset and go again because we’ve got a hell of a run in in the Premiership.
“I’m very proud of the players. This competition is a massive part of our development, not just for the academy but for the whole squad. We need to breed that hunger to fight and play for things.”
Bath could have done with some of that fight in the opening exchanges. Instead, they gave away a fistful of penalties and allowed Exeter to settle.
Short of ideas and short of composure, Bath’s distribution was at times panic-stricken and ball receivers were too frequently static and easily picked off. Wing Cooper Vuna was one of the few bright sparks in attack.
While Bath did lift their aggression and organisation in the second half, Todd Blackadder, the Bath director of rugby, said it had come too late.
“The players shouldn’t need a half-time rev up,” he said. “We prepared well but we didn’t execute. We didn’t do what we said we would do. At times we looked like we were running out of options.”
The Chiefs raced into an early lead with a try by hooker Jack Innard and sweet kicking by Simmonds.
Bath pulled eight points back as Vuna touched down and Burns kicked a penalty. But the result was effectively sealed before half time when Innard got his second from the Chiefs’ ever-dangerous lineout drive, quickly followed by a try for lock Toby Salmon.
That made it 25-8 at half time, and, with the rain beginning to tip down, a glut of Bath tries in the second period never looked likely.
When Bath did gain the occasional foothold in Exeter’s half, they either spilt the ball or were too easily stripped of it. It was certainly a far cry from Bath’s last cup final at Kinsgholm, when they beat Worcester in the European Challenge Cup.
That was a full decade ago, and on the basis of this performance it is difficult to see where Bath’s next piece of silverware is coming from.
The Chiefs? They can head into the Premiership run-in with a spring in their step – once the naked dancing is out of the way. policies. We need to get our game back on track.”
Kai Horstmann, Exeter’s captain for the day, said: “Days like this make the times in pre-season when you’re getting flogged on Exmouth Beach worth it.
“We showed real maturity as a squad and every bit of silverware is precious to us.
“We talked a lot about a fast start and our nine and ten bossed it.”
Horstmann, who retires from playing at the end of the season to take up a commercial role at Sandy Park, said: “I will miss moments like this dreadfully but I’m excited about the future.
“This achievement is right up there with what I’ve done in my career.”