All roads lead to The Rec — the beating heart of the city and a ground revered as a mecca for Bath rugby. Under the floodlights on a crisp evening, two unbeaten heavyweights collided in what promised to be one of the defining fixtures of the BUCS Super Rugby season.

Both Exeter and Bath entered the contest with immaculate records: three wins from three, fifteen points apiece, and momentum to burn. It’s a clash not just of form, but of identity — Bath, the reigning frontrunners defending their throne on home soil; Exeter, the relentless chasers, determined to make a statement and plant their flag firmly among the elite.

For Devon’s favourite sons, the trip to Somerset is more than just another away day. It’s an opportunity to measure their arsenal against a side that has long defined excellence on home soil. For their enemy however, it’s a chance to protect their crown, in front of a home crowd that demands nothing less than dominance.

Everything about this fixture screams theatre: two sides unbeaten, a historic venue, and a rivalry brimming with both respect and ferocity. It was a night of collisions, composure, and moments that defined a season — not just a game of rugby, but a statement of supremacy.

It was a relentless opening passage from the Green Army, battling ferociously at the breakdown and forcing Bath onto the back foot. Under mounting pressure, the hosts eventually conceded a penalty — and it was the perfect stage for the return of the prodigal son, Ben Coen, to announce his comeback to university rugby. A well-taken kick gave Exeter the early lead.

Bath, however, hit back almost instantly. A lineout deep inside Exeter’s 5-metre line provided the perfect platform for a bruising crash-ball attack, with full-back Sam Winters bulldozing his way over two defenders to level the contest.

Exeter refused to flutter. Pressure from their restart forced a scrum — the first real test of power and control — and Exeter held firm before striking with clinical precision. The ball was worked wide through sharp hands to full-back Jed Findlay, who sliced through the defensive line to restore the visitors’ advantage.

Bath’s discipline began to unravel as Exeter’s lightning tempo and relentless pressure forced mistake after mistake. At the heart of it all was scrum-half James Howard, orchestrating the attack with composure and urgency, demanding carry after carry as his pack battered Bath’s defence. Another penalty followed, and Exeter turned to their lineout maul — driving with intent before the backs joined the surge to help hooker Tyler Bayley crash over for their third try.

Bath simply couldn’t contain Exeter’s momentum. By the 20th minute, their discipline once again faltered, and Coen stepped up to slot another penalty, stretching the lead to 18–7 for the visitors.

Under the posts, Bath looked as though they had run out of answers to Exeter’s unyielding flurry of attack — but the hosts are nothing if not resilient. Regrouping swiftly, they constructed a powerful response through lock Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, who dived over to close the gap. The conversion reduced the deficit to just four.

Bath, buoyed by that score, began to rediscover their rhythm. Ten minutes later, centre Charlie Griffin muscled his way across the line to reclaim the lead, and with the conversion sailing through, Bath breathed a sigh of relief heading into the break — narrowly ahead after a bruising first half.

HALF TIME: BATH 21 – 18 EXETER

It was a familiar tale after the break, as Exeter once again looked to punish Bath’s recurring indiscipline. Barely a minute into the half, a 5-metre lineout gave number eight Sam Erskyne the perfect platform to crash over and reclaim the lead for the visitors.

Bath, however, remained within striking distance. Despite their issues at the breakdown, they struck back through full-back Sam Winters, who powered over for his second of the night to swing the momentum back in the hosts’ favour. The Rec erupted — Bath were back in front, and at the 50-minute mark, only three points separated the two unbeaten heavyweights going blow for blow.

With the crowd at their backs, Bath rallied again, executing a perfectly crafted lineout maul to extend their lead. As fans roared and Exeter heads briefly dipped, it appeared the momentum had shifted decisively in favour of the reigning league leaders. But Exeter were far from finished.

Following a wave of replacements, the men in green reached into their bag of tricks and conjured brilliance from nothing. Another lineout set the foundation, and once again, Ben Coen found himself at the heart of it. A deft flick out the back from Nic Allison created just a flicker of space — all the invitation Coen needed. Spotting Bath’s overcommitment to a blitz defence, the returning fly-half stabbed a precise grubber through the gap. Centre Ollie Batson, who was named as BUCS Man of the Match, proved why – demonstrating his synchronicity with Coen and collecting the rolling ball to dive over, reigniting Exeter belief.
With just three points in it, Coen rose to the occasion once more, punishing Bath’s carelessness in possession. A penalty from distance was his moment, and the fly-half was ice-cold under pressure, surgically splitting the posts to level the score at 35–35.
Many sides would have settled for the draw — an away point apiece, honour preserved and the hunt for the throne still alive. But not Exeter.

They smelled blood, and sensed belief. Anxiety crept into the Bath ranks, their composure fraying under the weight of expectation. Then came the twist of fate: one final penalty, just outside the 22. The Rec fell silent as Coen stepped up, having been faultless all evening. Bath found themselves at the foot of the guillotine, and Ben Coen played executioner. The ball sailed cleanly through the uprights, and at seventy-eight minutes, Exeter led.

Bath, desperate and defiant, launched one last assault. A late penalty in front of the posts gave them a chance to equalise, but instead of taking the kick, they gambled — kicking to the corner in pursuit of glory. One last lineout. One last push. But Exeter’s wall of green would not break. Bath hammered the line, only to be met by an immovable defence. A scrum offered the hosts a final lifeline, yet even then, Exeter’s defence held fast, suffocating every surge before forcing a turnover. The ball was held up, and the referee’s whistle brought decisive deliverance for the visitors.

It was a last-gasp epic — a night where Exeter’s composure, courage, and conviction outlasted Bath’s fury. Against the reigning kings, they had conquered The Rec, and with the reigning leaders dethroned on their own turf the Green Army left triumphant. With their spirits, and unbeaten record, both intact, Exeter find themselves now perched at the summit of BUCS Super Rugby.

FINAL SCORE – BATH 35 – 38 EXETER