Bath’s hopes blown away

FINN RUSSELL limped off as Bath blew a golden opportunity to reach their first Champions Cup quarter-final in a decade on a famous day for Exeter. Chiefs, out of sorts in the domestic league, tamed a fierce wind to overturn an eight-point deficit and set up a tie against either Toulouse or Racing 92 next weekend. ‘That’s a tough one to take,’ said Bath head coach Johann van Graan after Greg Fisilau and Ethan Roots dived over to seal a stunning comeback. ‘Finn going off with what seems to be something in the groin area was a big moment. He’s a very important player.’ The Scot watched in horror as the Premiership high-flyers lost all control in the final half hour, having seemingly done the hard bit playing first into the wind. Exeter boss Rob Baxter reserved special praise for young England wing Manny Feyi-Waboso for igniting them. ‘He is the closest replacement to a Jack Nowell we could have had,’ he said. ‘A guy who gets you metres out of nowhere.’ It seemed Russell’s absence would make no material difference, so dominant was the Bath pack. Exeter had every advantage, including numbers after Tom Dunn was sin-binned early on, yet were repeatedly turned over or penalised at the maul. Their profligacy caught up with them when Thomas du Toit ploughed over on Bath’s first visit to the Chiefs 22. Exeter bounced back when Alfie Barbeary dropped the restart straight into the path of Ross Vintcent. Bath reasserted their authority when Ted Hill not only got hands to a high ball but outpaced Feyi-Waboso on a 50-metre gallop to the line. When Bath repelled an Exeter siege on their own line to escape into half-time with the lead and the wind to come, it felt over. Only Bath were nothing like as good with the ball as they had been without it and when Hill and Cameron Redpath were crocked in quick succession all control went with them. Fisilau dotted down to reduce the deficit to a point, then Roots popped up with the try which sent the majority of a sell-out 15,000 crowd home happy.