Exeter’s Rob Baxter, the director of rugby, said they were “getting towards last chance saloon” in the run-up to this pulsating victory against Bath. The hosts eventually ground out a bonus-point success on a cold, bright day in Devon, but the outcome of their bid for the playoffs remains out of their hands. Second-half tries by Billy Keast, Stuart Hogg and Santiago Grondona decisively put an end to Bath’s resistance, while Exeter’s top-four rivals Gloucester were defeated at home by Wasps. Welcome news for the Exeter fans, although Gloucester’s two matches in hand may yet prove decisive.
“All we can control is winning games,” said the Exeter head coach, Ali Hepher. “Picking up a bonus point is massive today, we’ve got to attack every game and pick up what we can, it’s as simple as that. It’s a cup final every week.”
