Exeter ...............................21pts
Tries: Vintcent 23, Fisilau 56, Roots 66
Conversions: Slade 23, 56, 66
Bath ...................................15pts
Tries: du Toit 21, Hill 28
Conversions: Spencer 28
Penalties: Spencer 49
IT’S not just Storm Kathleen that was causing quite the stir at Sandy Park, so too were Rob Baxter’s young Exeter Chiefs side who prog ressed into the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions Cup with a hard-fought victory over rivals Bath.
Less than a week after turning in one of their worst displays of the season at Sale Sharks, the Devonians were back to their rousing best in this absorbing all West Country affair.
With a howling wind making conditions incredibly tough for both sides throughout, it was the Chiefs who prospered against the elements in the second period, claiming victory thanks to crucial scores from Greg Fisilau and Ethan Roots.
Those scores helped seal a decent fightback from the hosts, who had earlier trailed 12-7 at the turn as Bath grabbed scores from Thomas du Toit and Ted Hill.
In reply, No.8 Ross Vintcent helped himself to a score of his own for the Chiefs who, you felt, had failed to make the most of their possession and territory during a first period in which both sides traded significant blows like two prized fighters.
Naturally, Baxter was delighted with his side’s showing come the close. He said: “The one thing we had today was an absolutely full-blooded commitment to be in the game physically from the first minute – that was pretty much the only parameter we gave the lads.
“Then, we built the game from there. The biggest credit I’ve got to say to the guys is that it would have been easy to have thought at half-time they hadn’t done enough, but I think the reality was we got an awful lot of hard work done in that first half and that probably was the winning of the game for us.
“I know that sounds a bit strange because Bath created those two scores, one out of nothing really, but it felt to me a little bit like we’d managed to have so much possession and worked them so hard that there would be opportunities in the second half.”
And so it proved for the Chiefs, who will now face the winners of Toulouse and Racing 92. They meet today in their all-French affair.
“I think for me that was the biggest lesson and, hopefully, it will move on quickly with the young guys now because they can actually stop and go, ‘Oh right, it’s actually the first 10 minutes that really matter, the second 20 minutes really matter. You don’t win the game then, but you can certainly lose it.
“The bits you do right from the start actually do add up and win you the game
