All the big game prep, team news, live action, reaction, analysis and highlights from Sandy Park
Finally, the wait is over as the Exeter Chiefs face Bath Rugby in the Gallagher Premiership semi-finals at Sandy Park on Saturday
League leader Exeter is in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year as Bath has not been in the last four since 2014/15 when the Blue, Black and White were beaten in the final by the Saracens
Of course, Bath only received confirmation that they were in play-offs on Wednesday after the Sale Sharks saga and their now-lost match against Worcester Warriors following a Covid-19 outbreak at the club which saw 27 people contract the virus
Rob Baxter’s Exeter team are looking to make it a national and European double with a place already secured in the final of the Heineken Champions Cup next weekend against Racing 92
The other semi-final will be over when the Chiefs and Bath kick off with the Wasps hosting the Bristol Bears at 130pm on Saturday
Follow all of the big game build-up, squad news, live action, reaction, analysis and highlights from Sandy Park with regular updates below throughout the weekend
Incidentally, Bath’s kick to the corner caused them to shut the ball off and now the Chiefs are running on time
Joe Simmonds is slowly coming off the field and the Chiefs are 14 after emptying their bench
Ruaridh McConnochie makes breakthrough in Chiefs 22 and is topped only with a tackle around the neck
Ollie Devoto is finished as he takes an offload from Joe Simmonds near the line
The winger has serious cramps given the treatment he received, but they bring in club hero Gareth Steenson
This side of Exeter doesn’t spoil two close-range workouts in one game and Jonny Hill is finished for his second, this one at around 24 inches
It’s a big deal Bath scrum wins penalty but Chiefs pinch their lineout ball on Ben Spencer’s cleared kick
The leaders are over the line through a rolling maul but they’ve been held up
Tom O’Flaherty is an underrated talent, he steps in front of him and takes the upper hand, going 30 meters outside
There are some very tired bodies in yellow and they should be discouraged that they didn’t find a way through the black shirt line
Suddenly it’s all the chefs taking half breaks with Henry Slade and Sam Simmonds to get a few inches from the line, but for once Exeter has signed a contract through Harry Williams
Stuart Hogg is around the corner as he takes a Joe Simmonds offload which bounces off Jonathan Joseph’s tackle attempt
Bath starts making inroads with their carries, McNally and Redpath both enjoying some success But there’s no way through that Chiefs defense as Ruaridh McConnochie gets the ball in contact and Stuart Hogg hits long
Bath just probed and stretched the Chiefs side-to-side for four straight minutes, but the Chiefs, up to age 14, heroically resisted
The young center came of age today for Bath, making a breakthrough when he saw a pair of strikers ahead of him
We are minutes away from the biggest 40 minutes of the 2019/20 Premiership season so far for both teams
It’s tight in Sandy Park but the chefs have clinics in the red zone
Bath is really testing the home defense with Cameron Redpath smartly slipping inside passes to Jonathan Joseph by Olly Woodburn making three big tackles in the span of seconds to stop the attack and Exeter ends up forcing a shot
Will Stuart is over the line, but he appears to have entered Sam Underhill on his way to the line and it’s an accidental 5m Scrum obstruction in Exeter
Bath hits Chiefs line after strong Tom Dunn bust brought them inches from line
Jonny Hill has eliminated a scrum and is judged not to have used his arms He grabs Taulupe Faletau on top of his back
Exeter Chiefs
World News – GB – Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby live updates from Sandy Park
