The perils of going too early. We should know by now that no game in this competition is ever dead until it is dead, so common is the comeback these days. But when Bath, league leaders, had the bonus point by the half-hour mark – and a 26-10 lead to go with it – we did assume they were home and hosed.
All the more so, given Exeter’s low levels of confidence, not to mention their low position in the table, with only Newcastle below them. But the Chiefs would not let matters lie. Inspired by Paul Brown-Bampoe on the wing, they denied their high-flying visitors any points at all in the second half. Brown-Bampoe’s double in the third quarter pulled them back to within two points by the hour mark. Bath managed to hold out in a nervy final quarter.
