Bath win Premiership Cup to end trophy drought

Bath captain lifts the Premiership Rugby Cup — Bath skipper Ewan Richards lifted the side's first domestic trophy since the 1996 Pilkington Cup [Getty Images]

Exeter (14) 14

Tries: Tshiunza, Sio Cons: Hodge 2

Bath (17) 48

Tries: Carr-Smith, Cokanasiga, du Toit, Dunn 2, Richards, Schreuder Cons: Donoghue 5 Pens: Donoghue

Bath ended their 17-year trophy drought as they overpowered Exeter at Sandy Park to win the Premiership Rugby Cup.

A clinical second-half display earned their first silverware since the European Challenge Cup in 2008, and a first domestic trophy in 29 years.

Christ Tshiunza and Scott Sio went over for the Chiefs in a tight first half, but Tom Carr-Smith and Joe Cokanasiga responded and Ciaran Donoghue's penalty nudged Bath 17-14 ahead at half-time.

Thomas du Toit and Tom Dunn muscled their way over as Bath pulled away, before tries from Ewan Richards and Louis Schreuder, and Dunn's second, capped an impressive final quarter.

It could be the first part of a treble for the Blue, Black and Whites, who sit top of the Premiership and are in the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup.

In contrast, heavy defeat in the final compounds a miserable campaign for Exeter, who sit second bottom in the Premiership and fielded a strong and experienced starting XV to try and lift the gloom.

Scott Sio scores Exeter's second try during the Premiership Rugby Cup Final — Scott Sio's first try of the season hauled Exeter level at 14-14 after 33 minutes [Getty Images]

Resurgent Bath end 29 years of hurt

Bath were the dominant force in English club rugby for large parts of the 1980s and 1990s, winning six league titles in eight seasons and lifting the domestic cup 10 times in 13 seasons.

It would have seemed unimaginable to followers of Bath's double-winning team of 1995-96 that the club would face a chastening 29-year wait for their next domestic trophy.

Their hopes of ending that run were in the balance in an even first half.

Exeter were denied a 10th-minute opening score when the TMO chalked off Stu Townsend's close-range snipe for a Franco Molina knock-on, but after a point-less opening quarter, the final sprang to life with three tries in six minutes.

Tshiunza was driven over following a well-rehearsed lineout as Exeter drew first blood, but Bath responded within 30 seconds of the restart as Alfie Barbeary darted through a gap at the ruck to send Carr-Smith away under the posts.

The visitors went ahead when Ruaridh McConnochie's break fed Cokanasiga, inches from the touchline, and he applied a super one-handed finish.

Yet Exeter restored parity when slick play through the hands stretched the Bath defence and Jack Yeandle's brilliant offload kept the move alive for Sio to stretch for the line.

Bomb squad ends Chiefs' trophy bid

Bath upped the ante at half-time as they sent on three of their 'bomb squad' off the bench to bolster the front row - and their presence was immediately felt.

Their power quickly won a scrum penalty, which allowed them to pummel the Exeter line where replacement du Toit went over after 12 sapping phases.

The hosts had a second try chalked off by TMO when Josh Hodge put a foot over the left touchline at the start of a sweeping move which ended with Paul Brown-Bampoe's excellent finish in the right corner.

It would prove a pivotal moment. Instead of cutting the gap to a single score, Exeter then watched the visitors move out of sight.

Home skipper Yeandle saw yellow for obstructing an almost certain Bath score, and from the sinbin watched his side cough up two scores.

Dunn burrowed through a small gap to stretch a long arm over the line, and the game was effectively up when Max Ojomoh was held up close to the line before captain Richards dived over from the resulting ruck.

Bath hooker Dunn, in his 14th season with the Somerset club, added further gloss with his second try, spinning through challenges and reaching for the line, before Schreuder's dive for the corner gave Bath a fifth try of the half.

Exeter Chief skills coach Ricky Pellow told BBC Radio Devon:

"They put us under pressure for large periods of time and we could never put Bath under pressure for long periods of time, and when they did have the ball and got into our 22 they were clinical and we weren't.

"We get dented quite easily. We scored and then we got two tries disallowed and from that perspective teams that are playing with confidence will grow and we tended to go the other way.

"It probably sums up where we are this season. We've taken some steps forwards, but also when we come under a little bit of pressure we need to work out how we can maintain our game under pressure."

Bath assistant coach Andy Robinson told BBC Radio Bristol:

"Guys have worked very hard trying to achieve things over the years, it's not happened, but if you look at last year, we were so close to winning something and I think it's given everyone confidence.

"There's real belief around the group and that comes from what (head of rugby) Johann van Graan has done and from a group of players who are desperate to play for each other - and when you see that it makes such a difference.

"The group is growing stronger and stronger and there's real belief about what we're doing. There's two more challenges now, starting with Gloucester next week, and we build to the rest of the season."

Exeter: Sio, Yeandle (c), Iosefa-Scott, Molina, Tshiunza, Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau, Townsend, Skinner, Hodge, Tua, Hawkins, Brown-Bampoe, Wyatt.

Replacements: Frost, Blose, Street, Pearson, Capstick, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Rigg.

Sin-bin: Yeandle (56).

Bath: Cordwell, Spandler, Verden, Jeanes, Richards (c), Green, Staddon, Barbeary, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, McConnochie, Butt, Redpath, Cokanasiga, Emens.

Replacements: Dunn, Obano, Du Toit, Reid, Pepper, Schreuder, Ojomoh, Coetzee.

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