Investec Champions Cup: Bayonne 40-17 Exeter Chiefs - Premiership side to host Bath in last 16

Federico Mori scored twice in four minutes to end Exeter's challenge in Bayonne

Bayonne produced a stunning display to claim a maiden Investec Champions Cup win with a bonus-point victory over 2020 winners Exeter.

The French side scored first-half tries through Tom Spring, Kote Mikautadze, Aurelien Callandret and Victor Hannoun.

Dan Frost crossed for Exeter, who had already secured a home last-16 tie.

Dafydd Jenkins and Rus Tuima edged them closer to a losing bonus and a tie with holders La Rochelle before a Federico Mori double set-up a derby with Bath.

Exeter went down to 12 players in the final stages after losing Joe Hawkins to a red card for an upright head-on-head tackle, with Jack Yeandle and new Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins already in the sin-bin.

Defeat for Chiefs was their first in this year's tournament as they finished second in Pool 3, while Bayonne drop down into the Challenge Cup after ending the pool stage in fifth.

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Bayonne save best for last as Exeter show glimpses

The hosts would have been disappointed with their home defeat by Glasgow towards the end of last year, but this was an invigorated Bayonne side.

Exeter had already achieved a home tie in the knockout stages after three opening wins and perhaps their emotional intensity could have been understandably lower at the start of the game, but Bayonne were intent on laying down a marker.

Spring opened the scoring with a neat finish a minute into the game before Frost hit back with a pre-planned line-out routine in which he received the ball back from his throw to run clear.

But the hosts were quickly back on the front foot and Mikautadze powered his way over the line before Callandret had a simple run-in on the wing for the third.

The pick of the tries and the one which sealed the bonus in the 33rd minute was finished by Hannoun but involved several pairs of hands as they kept the ball alive, moving it down the right and then back left for a superb score in the corner.

Exeter trailed by 19 points at the break and faced a conundrum - chase the game and claim a losing bonus to set-up an unfavourable tie with defending champions La Rochelle, or settle for what they had and an all-English affair with Bath.

Jenkins smashed his way over to score within 50 seconds of the restart and two minutes later, Tuima followed suit from close range. Exeter clearly had lofty ideas and felt a comeback victory was achievable.

Another attack from a cross-field kick for Olly Woodburn resulted in Bayonne losing Callandret to the bin for a deliberate knock-on as the Exeter wing caught the ball and threw it inside for what would have been a try.

The tide appeared to be changing but Bayonne stood firm and managed to regain momentum when replacement Mori crossed twice in four minutes to break Exeter's resolve.

Line-ups

Bayonne: Spring; Callandret, Maqala, Lestrade, Hannoun; Dolhagaray, Rouet; Perchaud, Giudicelli, Tagi, Marchois (c), Mikautadze, Huguet, Heguy, Bruni.

Replacements: Bosch, Cormenier, Villar, Leindekar, Ariceta, Labarbe, Mori, Pourailly.

Exeter: Hodge; Hammersley, Slade, Devoto, Woodburn; Skinner, Cairns; Hepburn, Frost, Painter, Tuima, Jenkins (c), Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau.

Replacements: Yeandle, Southworth, Iosefa-Scott, Pearson, Vintcent, Townsend, Hawkins, Wimbush.

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