Ruthless Chiefs maintain 100 per cent record at Bath

Exeter Chiefs produced a rip-roaring second-half display to keep their 100 per cent record intact and go top of the Premiership table with a 39-24 bonus-point win at Bath on Friday.

The Chiefs arrived at the Rec with five wins out of five, but they were in danger of slipping to a first defeat until taking charge with three tries in the space of nine minutes.

Bath led 10-0 after 22 minutes, Rhys Priestland getting on the end of a chip over the top by Semesa Rokoduguni to touch down and Freddie Burns – switched to full-back – adding the extras having opened the scoring with a penalty.

Gareth Steenson got last season’s runners-up on the board with a penalty and the Chiefs were 15-13 up at half-time following tries from Stu Townsend and Don Armand either side of another Burns three-pointer.

Full-time at The Rec

Superb game of rugby as @ExeterChiefs make it six from six with a powerful second-half performance against @bathrugby #GallagherPrem #BATvEXE pic.twitter.com/DrnffVODnj

— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) October 5, 2018

Burns was twice on target from the tee to give Bath a slender advantage despite Rokoduguni being sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, though Steenson also made no mistake with a second penalty of the contest.

Exeter showed they can cope without long-term absentees Sam Simmonds and Jonny Hill, though, as Dave Ewers, Ian Whitten and Jack Nowell crossed to put them in command.

Chris Cook dotted down from a well worked set-piece but the damage had already been done, Steenson claiming 14 points in another impressive outing from the Chiefs, who move above a Saracens side that face Harlequins on Saturday.

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