The Prem

Bath (26) 40

Tries: Redpath, van der Linde, du Preez, Russell, Penalty, Hill Cons: Russell 4

Exeter (10) 34

Tries: Varney, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Feyi-Waboso 2 Cons: Slade 3 Pen: Skinner

Bath made it two wins out of two in the new Prem season as they gained a degree of revenge for losing to Exeter Chiefs in last season’s semi-final.

The two sides produced another thrilling game, just as they did three months ago, exchanging 11 tries as the all-out attack approach to the new season continued.

The hosts scored four tries to have a bonus point in the bag by the break as Cameron Redpath, Bernard van der Linde, Dan du Preez and Finn Russell all scored to put them 26-10 ahead.

Stephen Varney and Jack Yeandle had got Exeter’s first-half scores, before Josh Iosefa-Scott and two great tries from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso turned the match on its head within 15 minutes of the restart.

But Varney gave up a penalty try for a deliberate knock-on and Ted Hill’s effort took the game beyond their opponents, although Harvey Skinner kicked a late penalty to ensure the visitors came away from a second consecutive defeat with two bonus points.

The last meeting between the pair at the same venue is a match that will be remembered forever as the Chiefs came from 16 points down at half-time to win their Prem semi-final by a single point.

That defeat dethroned Bath as champions and they were looking ruthless as they grabbed two early tries.

Redpath read Skinner’s intentions to make an interception at point-blank range, giving him a free run to the line from inside his own half and there was opportunism about Bath’s second score, as scrum-half van der Linde spotted a gap, dummied and sprinted over from just outside the 22.

Exeter had to respond and Feyi-Waboso’s burst near the corner drew in enough defenders to allow Varney to exploit space to get his side on the board.

However, they could not keep the hosts out for long with more livewire stuff from van der Linde at the heart of it as he combined with Ewan Richards and although the little South African was held up a few metres short, there was no stopping compatriot du Preez from that distance.

A simple maul from a line-out saw Chiefs hooker Yeandle dot it down for their second try, but Bath had their bonus point on half-time as they worked the ball back to Russell with a bit of space and the Scotland and Lions fly-half did the rest with a dummy, turn of pace and finish.

With Russell converting his own try, it left an identical half-time score to that sunny June afternoon and just as they did three months ago, Rob Baxter’s side came storming back and within 15 minutes, they had turned a 16-point deficit into a five-point advantage.

A powerful drive by Kane James punctured a hole in Bath’s defence with Iosefa-Scott eventually able to pick and go for the prop’s second try in two games.

Then it was Feyi-Waboso’s turn to come to the party as he cut a devastating line from outside to in after a huge floated pass from Skinner found him on the touchline.

And his second try arrived thanks to great support play after ex-Bath centre Will Butt danced his way through a gap in midfield to open up the game.

But unlike last time, Bath found a response as their reinforcements from the bench added grunt. Redpath spilled the ball with the line beckoning but as they kept the pressure on, Varney could not resist putting a hand out to stop a pass reaching Joe Cokanasiga and a try in the corner.

The penalty try was awarded and the Italy number nine sin-binned and with a man extra, replacement flanker Hill bulldozed his way to the line and with Russell adding the extras, they had more than a one-score cushion.

Henry Slade missed one penalty to reduce the gap to six points, but Skinner stepped up in the 79th minute from the 40-metre line as Exeter pragmatically made sure they collected a losing bonus point to go with one for scoring four tries, while Bath have a maximum 10 from their two opening wins.

Bath: Donoghue; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, de Glanville; Russell, van der Linde; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels (capt), Richards, Pepper, du Preez.

Replacements: Frost, Kirk, Griffin, Hill, Reid, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Coetzee.

Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Butt, Wyatt; Skinner, Varney; Burger, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Wilson, Jenkins (capt), E Roots, James, Fisilau.

Replacements: Gulley, Goodrick-Clarke, Tchumbadze, Beckerleg, Worley Brady, Wolstenholme, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush.

Sin-bin: Varney (61)

Referee: Luke Pearce