RUGBY: Exeter Chiefs lose close encounter at Bath (From This is The West Country)

RUGBY: Exeter Chiefs lose close encounter at Bath

5:06pm Saturday 27th October 2012 in Sport

Exeter lost 23-15 at Bath following a pulsating Premiership match this afternoon.

Early Bath tries by Ben Williams and Kyle Eastmond were answered by Brett Sturgess in a flowing first half.

Stephen Donald and Gareth Steenson traded penalties either side of the break but Francois Louw's try gave Bath a 12-point cushion on the hour.

The hosts went down to 14 men when Dan Hipkiss was sent off and Ignacio Mieres's try set up a tense finale with five points between the sides and only 12 minutes left on the clock.

But after withstanding an onslaught from the visitors, Donald's 79th-minute penalty secured the game for Bath.

Exeter: Arscott; Camacho, Dollman, Shoemark, Jess; Steenson, Thomas; Sturgess, Alcott, Rimmer; Mumm, Hanks; Johnson, Scaysbrook, Baxter. Replacements: Whitehead, Moon, Budgen, Muldowney, Ewers, Barrett, Mieres, Whitten.