Thrilling entertainment.
But, when it is picked apart in the cold light of the laptop by the teams’ analysts, there might be more to cheer the Chiefs than the champions.
Bath’s win was built on an early blitz.
Four tries inside the first 20 minutes gave them the earliest attacking bonus point of the season by some distance. All those scores were against 14 men, however, after Exeter’s Campbell Ridl was shown a 20-minute red card for taking out opposite number Henry Arundell in the air.
When it reverted to 15 v 15, comeback specialists Exeter were the better side, clawing their way to parity from 26 points down.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso looked particularly impressive.
It is testament to the 23-year-old’s quality that despite being third in the league for metres made (530) and joint top for line breaks (17) going into the game, it has felt like there is more to come from him.
On Saturday, it arrived. He successfully chased down Harvey Skinner’s kick-off at the start of the game and went on to beat 12 defenders and make 72 metres from his 12 carries. Power, pace, determination and footwork – no-one is harder to stop with the ball in hand in the league.
Elsewhere in the visiting ranks, Henry Slade put on a prime kicking display and Tom Hooper and Greg Fisilau were at the heart of a vibrant visiting pack.
It was a first defeat after five straight top-flight wins for Exeter, but there were plenty of positives before Bristol arrive at Sandy Park on 24 January in the next round of Prem action.
Following on from their chastening home defeat by Northampton last weekend, there remains a sense that Bath may not be quite as formidable or fluid as they were 12 months ago.
