Seven-try salvo sees brilliant Bath defeat derby rivals Exeter to get back to winning ways in BUCS Super Rugby
The University of Bath made an instant return to winning ways in Men’s BUCS Super Rugby as they beat South West rivals Exeter 43-21 at the Team Bath Sports Training Village.
The seven-try success, which ended Exeter’s unbeaten start to the season, was the perfect response to the previous week’s narrow defeat at Hartpury and saw Bath make a ninth successful defence of the BUCS Challenge Shield on home turf.
Wales U20 scrum-half Ieuan Davies (pictured) made his first BUCS Super Rugby appearance for 19 months and marked the occasion by scoring Bath’s opening try inside four minutes.
Max Hooper, on his first start at fly-half, added the extras and also converted a try from Jamie Howick soon after as the hosts raced into a 14-0 lead.
In-form full-back Jack Woods was the next to cross, continuing his record of at least one try per game this season, and Sam Winters sealed the bonus point with the fourth try as Bath went into half-time with a 24-7 lead.
Bath extended that gap to 43-7 by the 70th minute as Cameron Ward, Evan Jones and Harrison Osborne all touched down, with Hooper and replacement James Linegar converting two of the tries.
Exeter scored two converted tries in the closing minutes to narrow the final margin of victory but that could not take the shine off an excellent Bath performance.
Cardiff Met are the next visitors to the Sports Training Village on Wednesday 28th October, kick-off 6.30pm.
Match stats
University of Bath starting XV: 1 Jacob Yates, 2 Jasper Spandler, 3 Diamond Ayiehfor, 4 Rory McKnight, 5 Isaac Sprenger, 6 Alex Yeabsley, 7 Will Keylock, 8 Connor Treacey (c); 9 Ieuan Davies, 10 Max Hooper, 11 Sam Winters, 12 Cameron Ward, 13 Bailey Cutts, 14 Harry Walker, 15 Jack Woods. Impact players: 16 Harrison Osborne, 17 Oban Baird, 18 Henry Mountford, 19 Tom Hilton, 20 Evan Jones, 21 Charlie Heard, 22 James Linegar, 23 Jamie Howick.
Tries: Davies, Howick, Woods, Winters, Ward, Jones, Osborne.
Conversions: Hooper 3, Linegar.
Exeter starting XV: 1 Tupeni Ralogaiuru, 2 Dexter Randle, 3 Isaac Godfrey, 4 Felix Starkey, 5 Harry Westlake, 6 John Edwards, 7 Elijah Taylor, 8 Oisin Smith, 9 George Newman, 10 Will Lane, 11 Joshua Golden Clarke, 12 Harrison Hall, 13 Ollie Batson, 14 Dewi Thomas, 15 Henry Derwent. Impact players: 16 Lewis Barnett, 17 Mawgen Talling, 18 Ben Smith, 19 Mawgen Warren, 20 Harry Woodman, 21 Ollie Chandler-Sullivan, 22 Freddie Hirst, 23 Rory Ellerby.
