Exeter

Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he has been impressed with how young Wales back-row Kane James is maturing.

The 21-year-old won his international first cap in July when Wales lost in Argentina in the Nations Championship.

James broke into the Exeter squad last season and has started both of the Chiefs’ Prem games so far this campaign.

“He’s just following that really nice route where he’s improving at a nice rate, he’s having some good impact on games,” Baxter said.

“Kane can be really pleased with the trajectory his game is going in at the minute.”

James’ physical development has also been noted by Baxter, who says the former England Under-20 player – who switched allegiance to the country he grew up in earlier this year – has been working hard off the field.

“He’s getting thicker, that will happen with quality training, making sure he gets his nutrition and all this kind of stuff,” Baxter added.

“He’s such a diligent guy he is going to maximise his strength and his growth, but he is going to get bigger for quite some time, I would say with Kane.

“That obviously is helping him ride the contact, he’s explosive and very quick.

“Kane’s had a really, really good start to the season, we’ve got to just keep working on these little individual bits and pieces – sometimes in his determination to fly around, a little bit of accuracy trips, but that’s the way you want it.

“You want these lads enthusiastic to run around and get in the game and I think there’s a lot more still to come from Kane.”

Exeter reached last season’s Prem final, where they lost to Northampton at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

But they have yet to record a win this season after a surprising loss at home to Gloucester last week.

However Baxter says his side’s loss at Bath, and their sticky start to the season, should not cause too much concern yet:

“I just don’t think we need to be so worried that we’ve got to get five points away at that to be competitive at the end of this season,” he said.

“In a way, I’ll be worried that we think we have to get five points second game of the season to be competitive.

“What I want us to do is go, ‘We play really well every week, we build our points score’, that’s what gets us where we need to be.

“We saw that last year – that’s what we’ve got to do again.”

Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan told BBC Radio Somerset:

“It was a crazy game of rugby once again, Bath versus Exeter. We started the game really well but then they came out punching after half-time and scored three unanswered tries.

“But then that’s why this game is a 23-man effort as we then came back with the impact of our eight (subs) who made a really good difference, so I’m really happy with the five points.

“We’re very proud of our bench and numbers 16 to 23 at this club are just as important as numbers one to 15.”

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:

“The important emotion is I’m walking away going ‘we’ve got a team here and we’ve got something to work with’.

“Last week was such a patchy performance (losing 45-24 to Gloucester) but today we showed a lot of good qualities.

“The qualities of being in a fight to the death, that’s what Exeter Chiefs are about. Do you want to be perfect or do you want to be in a fight every single week? Well we’ll be in a fight every single week.

“I’m quite happy with that, that’s what we’re good at and I saw that today.”

Bath: Donoghue; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, de Glanville; Russell, van der Linde; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels (capt), Richards, Pepper, du Preez.

Replacements: Frost, Kirk, Griffin, Hill, Reid, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Coetzee.

Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Butt, Wyatt; Skinner, Varney; Burger, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Wilson, Jenkins (capt), E Roots, James, Fisilau.

Replacements: Gulley, Goodrick-Clarke, Tchumbadze, Beckerleg, Worley Brady, Wolstenholme, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush.

Sin-bin: Varney (61)

Referee: Luke Pearce

The Prem

Exeter (12) 24

Tries: Iosefa-Scott, E Roots, Varney, Gulley Cons: Slade 2

Gloucester (26) 45

Tries: Loader 2, S Atkinson, Lake 2, Joseph, Denny Cons: C Atkinson 4, Barton

Gloucester delivered an outstanding performance on the first weekend of the new Prem season to stun Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.

The Cherry and Whites only once won on the road last term as they finished eighth, but they matched that immediately with this superb showing.

Summer arrival, and new captain and Wales skipper, Dewi Lake led the way with two of their seven tries.

Winger Ben Loader helped himself to two, while Seb Atkinson, a fine solo effort from Will Joseph and a debut try from Junior Denny completed their try haul.

Exeter finished as runners-up last season after losing to Northampton Saints in the final in June, but they were well beaten.

Josh Iosefa-Scott and Ethan Roots grabbed their first-half scores before Stephen Varney and then Louie Gulley ensured they at least managed a bonus point.

After a few years in the doldrums, Exeter had a thrilling spring and summer with their unexpected run to The Prem final at Twickenham. With new American investment at Sandy Park, hopes are high about the direction of travel in Devon but this was a rude awakening to the new season for Rob Baxter’s team.

The Cherry and Whites had a miserable campaign in limping home in eighth and they have not reached the play-offs for seven years, but the acquisition of Wales pair Lake and Jac Morgan has increased belief for the new campaign.

That was in evidence in their positive start as they worked the ball from one corner to the other, with Ben Redshaw’s kick bouncing up perfectly for Loader to finish.

A sustained spell of phases eventually resulted in Iosefa-Scott driving over from close range for the hosts before a smart kick over the top from scrum-half Caolan Englefield allowed England centre Atkinson to win a foot race and touch down as Gloucester regained the lead.

Loader’s second try extended that advantage as he showed impressive footwork to conjure up another fine kick towards the left corner and dive over.

Gloucester had produced an impressive opening half, but Roots grabbed a second try for the hosts as the flanker found himself on the wing with nobody able to stop his charge.

However, there was still time for the men from Kingsholm to secure a bonus point by the break as captain Lake brilliantly went over in the corner after he had turned down a kick at goal to earn a 26-12 interval lead

Lake’s influence in his new team was there for all to see as he was at the back of a driving maul to grab his second try for a dominant Gloucester.

Joseph then scored the try of the game with a brilliant burst of speed from inside his own half that took him outside and inside three defenders.

Varney quickly grabbed Exeter’s third try and with visiting flanker Freddie Thomas sin-binned for the final 10 minutes, replacement hooker Gulley went over on his Prem debut to ensure the Chiefs at least claimed a bonus point.

However, that debut try was matched by 18-year-old winger Denny, who scored with the last play of the game to seal Gloucester’s first win in Devon since 2015.

Exeter: Hammersley; Feyi-Waboso, Salde, Butt, Woodburn; Skinner, Varney; Burger, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Wilson, E Roots, James, Fisilau.

Replacements: Gulley, Goodrick-Clarke, J Roots, Beckerleg, Bailey, Murray, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush.

Gloucester: Redshaw; Jospeh, Cokanasiga, S Atkinson, Loader; C Atkinson, Englefield; Rapava-Ruskin, Lake (capt), Fasagbon, Kleyn, Clark, F Thomas, Morgan, Trenholm.

Replacements: Innard, Bleuler, Knight, Clement, Ludlow, Robson, Denny, Barton.

Yellow card: F Thomas (71)

Referee: Matthew Carley