All the build-up, team news, live play-by-play match updates, reaction, analysis, stats and highlights from the Recreation Ground
It's game day.
Bath Rugby host Exeter Chiefs on Sunday in Round 21 of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership.
Exeter Chiefs head to the Rec looking to climb into the play-off places after a 24-5 win over Newcastle Falcons last time out in the league. Last weekend the club also claimed their first trophy in three years with a 24-20 victory over London Irish in the final of the Premiership Rugby Cup.
The Blue, Black and White remain bottom of the Premiership table heading into the weekend and are yet to win in 2023, losing 45-26 away at Northampton Saints last time out.
The game kicks off at 3pm on Sunday.
Follow all the build-up, team news, live play-by-play match updates, reaction, stats, analysis and highlights from the Recreation Ground with regular updates below…
He said:
"Exeter are a club I respect the most and at my time with Munster we had some great battles so I used a few things from there but the players still have to execute the plan.;
"I felt that we did that today from the start, with Cameron Redpath’s try as it came from the lineout’
"Quietly we said we wanted an 80-minute performance and we gave that today we couldn’t finish a try at the end but then we defended our own line at the end and I said to the boys it was a good end to the game."
He said:
"I am very glad for everyone at Bath Rugby, especially for the players they know we have been making small improvements week on week it’s not always evident but today it was.
"That was good rewarded for all the management's hard work and the fans because they have been fantastic in their support.
"The fact It was a convincing win is a good sign for the future.
“We have to have a good look at each other because we are killing each other. We can’t perform as a team because individually we are killing each other. I am at that stage when I am almost thinking we have got to change the personnel.
"We have got guys now who are chomping at the bit and expecting to be there or thereabouts as players move on next season and I just said to the lads ‘ the power you have got as a player is your performance. You perform and it shows how much you want things and how good you want to be.
"The power I have got is selection and I am at that stage where I have to go to do it based on performance and not on an expected performance because we are just not getting it away from home.
I am as disappointed watching us play as I have for a very long time. Not winning or losing but at least a level of performance that looks like it is being backed up by the players. There were so many individual things going on out there.
Exeter remain in sixth. Bath are off the bottom of the table thanks to the bonus point win.
It is about time we won, innit.
We played really well in the first half and it was kind of new to be up at half time but there were people who were able to calm us down.
I will be happy today but this season has still not been good enough.
Sometimes after wins people talk about something magical happening in training in the week but it hasn't been like that. We have been plugging away all season and losing games because of small things this season and we have been working on them and it game together today.
I would have given it to Cam Redpath but the BT Sport pundits go for the outstanding Beno Obano.
Full reaction to come
Bath break their duck in 2023 with an outstanding display.
Exeter's play-off chances take a massive dent.
Exeter take a 5m tap penalty and Dave Ewers powers for the line but Bath get bodies under the ball to hold it up and deny Chiefs a bonus point for four tries scored.
What a defensive effort it has been.
36-19
Niall Annett is off for dragging down Exeter's driving maul illegally.
36-19
That is more excellent game management from Bath who win a penalty in the Exeter 22 and point to the posts.
Piers Francis knocks over the easy shot at goal to make it a 17 point lead.
This one is done you would think.
36-17
Ollie Lawrence breaks from deep in his own half after handing off Henry Slade, he moves the ball wide and Bath have numbers thundering down-field but 5m out the final pass from Tom de Glanville goes through the hands of Matt Gallagher.
The pass was too hard but Gallagher still should have done better with his attempted catch.
Exeter full back actually did incredibly well to not bite in on any of the Bath runners to be able to drift across and put pressure on the final pass.
33-19
Bath's defence is winning the battle for the hosts as they force a knock on from Mike Williams after multiple phases of sustained pressure from Exeter.
Ted Hill and Joe Cokanasiga put in huge dominant tackles during the stand.
33-19
Olly Woodburn is off for a HIA.
That means Harvey Skinner is back on.
There are changes everywhere as Sam Simmonds goes off for blood flowing and Dave Ewers is back having been patched up.
33-19
Exeter are starting to panic and are willing to take increasingly risky options, looking to kick in behind through Henry Slade.
Bath want territory and Tom de Glanville just spirals a kick deep which bounces out.
33-19
Bath's scrum comes up big to win a penalty and Matt Gallagher kicks into the 22.
The lineout is messy but Josh McNally slaps it back to his side.
Having lost some shape Piers Francis, who is on at 10, pokes a kick into the corner for Chris Cloete to chae.
It bounces out before the flanker can get there but Exe must now work their way out from a lineout 5m from their try line.
Clever option.
33-19
Jack Nowell puts a kick end over end and it has too much club and runs dead.
That means Bath have an attackign scrum on the Chiefs 40.
33-19
Dan Frost's yellow card is over.
Josh Hodge returns tothe pitch with Jack Yeandle staying on.
33-19
Exeter execute the 5m lineout, set their maul and bring in the backs to add some power and the away side power Jack Yeandle over the tryline.
Henry Slade's conversion from the right drifts wide.
33-19
Alec Hepburn and former Bath man Mike Williams are on.
Aidon Davis is also on as a blood replacement for Dave Ewers.
Menawhile Exeter win a penalty in midfield after sustained pressure and kick to the corner.
33-14
Ollie Lawrence is over for Bath's fifth try.
The Bath forwards were battering away at the line before the ball gets pulled back to Cam Redpath who is hit hard by Exeter's aggressive rush defence but the Scotland star rides the tackle and offloads to Ollie Lawrence who is tripped but not held and rolls his way over the try line.
Ben Spencer converts.
33-14
Exeter have taken off their full back Josh Hodge as a replacement for Dan Frost is needed in the frontrow for a scrum with Jack Yeandle coming on.
Bath have reacted brilliantly tactically and Orlando Bailey chips a kick over the top of the Chiefs defence to where Hodge should have been.
Only a horrible bounce denies Joe Cokanasiga another run in.
26-14
Bath look to attack down the blindside after first setting their maul at the lineout 15m out but Ben Spencer knocks on a pass from Tom Dunn under pressure from Jack Nowell.
26-14
Dan Frost comes flying off the back of the lineout to hit Orlando Bailey, he hits him late and high with a swinging arm.
Referee Karl Dickson gives a yellow card.
Frost was fortunate the first contact was not with the Bath fly-half's head.
Bath kick into the Chiefs 22 from the penalty.
26-14
That is the fourth try for Bath to claim the bonus point as the hosts maul their way over the line from the 5m lineout to deliver Tom Dunn over the tryline.
Exeter defended the maul well to start with to force the setpiece to crab across the field but then Bath spun the point of contract to get it all moving forward.
Ben Spencer converts from right in front.
26-14
Matt Gallagher chips a kick into coffin corner and Josh Hodge tackes it on the bounce and tries to run his way out of trouble but the Bath full back brings him down and Ruaridh McConnochie jackals over the top and will not be moved to win a penalty for not releasing.
Bath kick to the corner.
19-14
The ball comes out the back of the scrum and Henry Slade challenges the line but he is tackled by Cam Redpath and then Chris Cloete jackals over the top to win a penalty for not releasing.
19-14