Under chilly afternoon skies at the Rubber Crumb, Exeter returned home with purpose, carrying the weight of last week’s disappointment and the hunger to put things right. The men in green stepped onto familiar turf with intent and precision in their preparation, eager to re-establish the dominance which has defined their season thus far.

Swansea arrived with an ambition of their own, eager to test Exeter’s response and impose their physical edge in Devon. The fixture promised tempo and heavy collisions, with both sides looking to bounce back from respective defeats to Nottingham with a win.

Swansea opened the afternoon with real bite, striking inside three minutes after a spell of pressure deep in Exeter’s 22. Their intent at the breakdown was clear from the outset, counter-rucking with force and turning possession over before sweeping the ball wide into the hands of their playmaker, Llew O’Brien. The fly-half shaped to pass, sold an audacious dummy, and glided straight through the fractured defensive line for the opening score.
Exeter held their composure, however, and built their response with patience. A lineout drive near the corner gave them the platform they needed, and once the pack began to rumble, there was little Swansea could do to halt the surge. Hooker Tyler Bayley, who has thrived in these situations all season, grounded the ball to level the score.

With momentum on their side, Exeter stayed firmly on the front foot. Their shape in phase play began to stretch Swansea’s defence, with sharp movements off nine and deceptive running lines opening the field. As flanker Finn Worley-Brady punched a hole through the middle, the visitors scrambled, leaving space for Josh Mann to dart through and continue his red-hot run of form.

Swansea remained in the contest and found reward through sheer physicality. Tighthead Matthew Price drove from close range with immense force, powering over multiple defenders for their second try. Exeter looked to answer swiftly, and did so; Luke Evans produced a well-timed offload that bobbled in contact, yet Exeter's captain Finn Worley-Brady reacted superbly - gathering the juggling ball before scrapping with two defenders to restore the lead.

With their rhythm flowing and control tightening, Exeter pushed further ahead. A break down the left wing opened the field, and just when Swansea appeared to have covered their options, winger Conor Byrne looped a wide pass to scrum-half James Howard. A sharp dummy and a snap of footwork carried him over for Exeter’s fourth try.

Swansea’s defence now began to show signs of strain, and Exeter accelerated into that vulnerability. Three minutes later, Tightead Tom Gulley surged over from close range, showing his own power which proved too much to withstand. The half reached its crescendo as the pack once again dismantled Swansea from short distance, allowing Bayley to claim his second of the afternoon and sending Exeter into the break with a commanding 42–14 lead. From the tee, fly-half Ben Coen continued to steer the scoreboard with complete assurance, maintaining his perfect rhythm as he added another conversion to a faultless tally to end the half.

HALF TIME: EXETER 42 – 14 SWANSEA

Exeter resumed the contest with the same conviction they had carried into the break. Replacement lock James Boylan provided the first blow of the second half, driving through from close range to stretch the lead and reaffirm Exeter’s command of the afternoon.

Swansea, facing a daunting margin, refused to let the scoreline dictate their effort. Their determination was rewarded when inside centre Ieuan Bissell burst through midfield, carving a clean line before feeding scrum-half Kai Inker on his inside. Inker strolled under the posts, cutting into the deficit and sparking a flicker of belief within the travelling contingent.

That belief grew on 66 minutes, when replacement fly-half Tal Rees spotted space behind Exeter’s advancing line and sent a deft chip spiralling into open territory. It was Will Hammonds, another substitute, who accelerated onto it, gathering cleanly to score and add further weight to Swansea’s late push. With the scoreboard reading 49–26, their ambition began to swell.

Exeter, however, responded with the poise of a side intent on reasserting their credentials at the top of the table. Their shape tightened, their tempo lifted, and Swansea’s brief surge was met with an emphatic counterpunch. Full-back Jed Findlay struck first, darting through the Welsh side's defensive line with sheer pace to widen the margin once more. Minutes later, Dewi Thomas added further shine to the performance, racing in to seal Exeter’s dominance as the game entered its final moments. Each finish was met with Coen’s unwavering accuracy from the tee, the Exeter fly-half executing all nine conversions with complete precision — a 100% return that encapsulated Exeter’s total accuracy and execution.

Swansea claimed a final consolation try in the dying minute, softening the blow but unable to shift the tone of the matchup. Exeter emerged with their heads high and a restored sense of belief, responding to last week’s disappointment with precision, power, and attacking flair.
With the season still long and demanding, the men in green have positioned themselves firmly within the race for the BUCS Super Rugby summit, as their ambitions of etching their names into the history of Exeter’s esteemed rugby programme grow with every passing week.

FULL TIME: EXETER 63–33 SWANSEA