Chiefs lose in the Premiership Cup Final at home

Match Report: Exeter Chiefs 14, Bath 48

Bath Rugby ended their 17-year wait for silverware with a dominant 48-14 victory over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park, clinching the Premiership Rugby Cup in emphatic fashion. Chiefs, aiming to lift the title for the second time in three years, started brightly but were ultimately outclassed by a ruthless Bath side whose strength in depth proved decisive.

A nervy opening saw both teams testing each other’s defences in the early exchanges, but the game took an early twist when Exeter’s Tommy Wyatt was forced off after just eight minutes following a heavy collision. Despite the setback, the hosts thought they had taken the lead in the 10th minute through Stu Townsend, only for the TMO to rule out the score due to a knock-on in the build-up.

Exeter regrouped and found their breakthrough in the 20th minute, with a well-worked try converted by Josh Hodge to put them 7-0 ahead. Bath responded swiftly, as Tom Carr-Smith darted through a ruck to level the scores, before Joe Cokanasiga powered over minutes later to give the visitors a 14-7 lead. Scott Sio’s converted try brought the Chiefs back level just before the break, but a late penalty from Ciaran Donoghue gave

Bath a slender 17-14 half-time advantage.

Bath’s intent was clear from the restart as they made four substitutions to inject fresh energy into the contest. Their impact was immediate, with Thomas du Toit crashing over in the 44th minute and Donoghue adding the extras to extend the lead to 24-14. Chiefs thought they had responded when Paul Brown-Bampoe crossed the line three minutes later, but for the second time in the match, the TMO intervened to chalk off the try.

From that moment on, Bath took complete control. The visitors’ superior depth began to tell, and they punished Exeter’s defensive lapses ruthlessly. Tom Dunn stretched Bath’s lead further in the 57th minute, before Ewan Richards added another seven minutes later to put the game beyond doubt.

A second for Dunn followed soon after, and by the time Louis Schreuder touched down for Bath’s sixth try, the celebrations were well underway.

With Sandy Park emptying and Bath’s players embracing on the pitch, the final whistle confirmed a statement 48-14 victory. Captain Ewan Richards who led by example throughout was named Player of the Match, capping off a historic day for the men in black, blue and white.

Attendance at Sandy Park: 11,182