Exeter Chiefs reign supreme by beating West Country rivals Bath to win Anglo-Welsh Cup

Bath 11-28 Exeter Chiefs: Two tries from Jack Innard set the ball rolling for the reigning Premiership champions with Toby Salmon adding a third to secure a convincing victory

Kai Horstmann lifts the Anglo-Welsh Cup after Exeter Chiefs beat Bath 28-11 (Getty)

Hooker Jack Innard scored two tries as Exeter Chiefs regained the Anglo-Welsh Cup with a convincing 28-11 win over Bath in the final at Kingsholm.

This was the fourth final the Chiefs had contested in a row and, after losing the last two, they claimed back the trophy they first won in 2014.

Bath went into the final unbeaten in this season's tournament, but they were comfortably second best on the day as their wait for a first trophy since 2008 when they won the European Challenge Cup went on.

Toby Salmon scored Exeter's other try, with Joe Simmonds adding three penalties and two conversions, while Bath's points came from a Cooper Vuna try and two penalties from Freddie Burns.

Jack Innard's try got Exeter off to a flying start (Getty)

Exeter dominated the opening exchanges to take a sixth-minute lead when, from a pre-planned move, Innard crashed over from a line-out five metres out.

Simmonds converted from the touchline before adding two penalties as the Premiership champions continued their impressive start.

Jack Innard scored two tries for Exeter as they brushed aside their West Country rivals (Getty)

Apart from restarts, Bath failed to get out of their own half in the first quarter, but a couple of drives from prop Beno Obano gave them impetus and they were rewarded with their first points when Burns kicked a penalty.

That score was the catalyst for Bath to raise their game and they got back in contention with an excellent try.

Vuna began the move by fielding a clearance and evading Tom O'Flaherty to allow Shaun Knight to burst through the Exeter defence before Burns ran cleverly to send Vuna over.

Cooper Vuna scored Bath's only try (Getty)

Burns' conversion hit a post before Exeter responded with their second try when Innard finished off a driving line-out.

Simmonds converted before a mistake from Burns soon gifted Exeter their third score.

His kick was charged down by Kai Horstmann, enabling Salmon to force his way over to give Chiefs a 25-8 interval lead.

If they were to make a game of it, Bath badly needed the first score of the second half, but the worsening conditions made handling difficult with their opponents content to kick the ball at every opportunity.

Matt Kvesic takes a breather during Exeter's victory (Getty)

A mistake from Santiago Cordero gave Bath a platform in the Exeter half from which Burns fired over his second penalty.

That score gave his side a glimmer of hope before Burns, man of the match for Leicester in last season's final, was replaced by Rhys Priestland with 15 minutes remaining.

However, Exeter's pack remained the dominant force, with a late penalty from Simmonds rewarding their efforts.

Exeter celebrate after Toby Salmon burrows over for a try (Getty)

Teams

Bath: Homer, Banahan, Hurrell, J. Wilson, Vuna, Burns, Cook, Fotuali'i, Obano, Charles, Knight, Lahiff, Douglas, Ewels, Ellis.

Replacements: Walker, Noguera, Delmas, Charteris, Grant, M Green, Priestland, Atkins.

Exeter: Cordero, O'Flaherty, Hendrickson, Devoto, Short, J Simmonds, Chudley, Townsend, Low, Innard, Holmes, Salmon, Dennis, Kvesic, Salvi.

Replacements: Malton, Kenny, Owlett, van der Sluys, Freeman, Snow, Steenson, Strong.

Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)

PA