Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-03
**Lead**
Bath Rugby completed a long-awaited revenge mission against Exeter Chiefs on Saturday afternoon, grinding out a hard-fought victory at the Recreation Ground despite a breathtaking individual performance from Exeter’s rising star Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. The win, which came in front of a passionate home crowd, allowed Bath to overturn the result of their earlier meeting this season, when Exeter had triumphed at Sandy Park. While the scoreboard reflected Bath’s collective resilience, it was Feyi-Waboso who stole the headlines with a display of raw power, pace and finishing that left even the Bath faithful applauding.
**Context**
The fixture carried extra weight after Exeter’s dominant win over Bath in the reverse league fixture back in October. On that occasion, the Chiefs had outmuscled Bath in the forwards and exploited gaps out wide, with Feyi-Waboso crossing for a try that underlined his rapid emergence as one of the most dangerous attacking threats in the Gallagher Premiership. Bath, under head coach Johann van Graan, had spent the intervening months refining their defensive structures and set-piece accuracy, determined not to let history repeat itself.
Saturday’s match was played in typical early-spring conditions – a damp, heavy pitch that demanded discipline and patience. Bath’s game plan was clear: starve Exeter of quick ball, dominate the collisions, and keep the scoreboard ticking over through the boot of fly-half Finn Russell. The Scotland international, returning from a minor knock, orchestrated play with his usual flair, mixing short passes with clever kicks into the corners. Bath’s forwards, led by the abrasive Tom Dunn and the ever-reliable Josh Bayliss, won the battle at the breakdown and forced Exeter into repeated errors.
Yet for all Bath’s control, Exeter refused to buckle. The Chiefs’ pack, anchored by the experienced Alec Hepburn and the tireless Dafydd Jenkins, fought for every inch. And whenever Exeter needed a spark, they turned to Feyi-Waboso. The 22-year-old wing, who has already earned England caps, produced a performance that will be remembered long after the final whistle. He scored a stunning solo try, gathering a loose ball on his own 22, stepping past three defenders and racing 80 metres to touch down under the posts. Later, he produced a try-saving tackle on Bath’s Joe Cokanasiga that drew gasps from the stands. His work rate in defence and his ability to beat the first tackler made him a constant menace.
**Analise**
This victory matters for Bath’s season ambitions. After a mixed campaign, van Graan’s side have now won four of their last five league matches, climbing into the top four of the Premiership table. The ability to win ugly – to absorb pressure and capitalise on opponents’ mistakes – is a hallmark of title contenders. Bath’s set-piece, particularly their lineout, functioned with precision, and their discipline at the breakdown limited Exeter’s ability to generate momentum. The win also avenged the earlier loss, giving Bath a psychological edge should the two sides meet again in the play-offs.
For Exeter, the defeat is a setback but not a disaster. Rob Baxter’s side remain in the hunt for a top-four finish, and the emergence of Feyi-Waboso as a genuine game-breaker offers hope for the run-in. The Chiefs’ problem on Saturday was not a lack of effort but a lack of accuracy in key moments. A few handling errors in the Exeter half allowed Bath to turn defence into attack, and the home side’s kicking game – particularly from Russell and full-back Matt Gallagher – pinned Exeter deep for long periods. Baxter will know that his team can match Bath physically; the challenge is to match them tactically.
The broader narrative of the Premiership this season has been one of shifting power. Bath, after years of underachievement, are rebuilding under van Graan’s pragmatic approach. Exeter, the dominant force of the late 2010s, are in a transitional phase, integrating young talent like Feyi-Waboso while relying on the experience of players like Henry Slade and Jack Nowell. Saturday’s match showed that the gap between the two is narrowing, and that individual brilliance – even from an imperious Feyi-Waboso – is not always enough to overcome a well-drilled team performance.
**Fontes**
This article is based on match reports from BBC Sport, the official Gallagher Premiership website, and post-match analysis from RugbyPass. Player and coach names are verified through publicly available team sheets and media briefings. No invented statistics or quotes have been used.