Saracens 18 Chiefs 20
Saracens 18
Exeter Chiefs 20
Mark Stevens at Allianz Park
Just as Sandy Park remains a fortress for the Exeter Chiefs, so Allianz Park is regarded as just the same for European champions Saracens.
Undefeated on their own patch for 21 months, it took a monumental effort from Rob Baxter’s side to emerge victorious from this brutal Aviva Premiership contest with a priceless four points.
The victory, Exeter’s seventh of the campaign, not only ensured the reigning English champions remain top of the pile after nine rounds but, more importantly, they are now five points ahead of Mark McCall’s side, who are next best in the standings on 30 points.
Trailing 15-6 at the turn after Alex Goode and Schalk Brits had raced in for tries for the hosts, Devon’s finest showed their own colours after the break as Ian Whitten and Moray Low bagged a try apiece to silence a capacity home crowd.
Fly-half Gareth Steenson completed the job for the Chiefs, converting both tries, as well as two penalties, while Ben Spencer and Marcelo Bosch grabbed the additional points for Saracens.
Although both sides were shorn of key personnel due to international call-ups and injuries, the on-field cast for this televised Sunday showdown was still pretty formidable with household names aplenty in the respective line-ups.
As expected the early skirmishes were brutal as players from both sides threw themselves into some heavyweight collisions with little care for their own welfare. Defences dominated the opening five minutes, before the Chiefs finally broke the deadlock just moments later.
Strong carries from Olly Woodburn, Sam Hill and Matt Kvesic got them deep within the home 22, where South African hooker Brits was penalised for not releasing Kvesic at the tackle area. It gifted Steenson a simple shot at goal and the Ulsterman made no mistake, dispatching the resultant penalty between the home sticks.
Exeter’s lead, however, would prove short-lived as within two minutes the Londoners had themselves stolen the lead back. Nic White’s box kick out of defence looked good enough initially, but Sarries winger Nathan Earle fielded it well just inside the visiting half, before linking nicely with Goode, whose turn of speed and neat footwork saw him expose a gap down the blindside and over for the score, which Spencer converted nicely from the right touchline.
Worse would follow for the defending champions as White was yellow-carded on 14 minutes for a deliberate knockdown. With the Aussie sidelined, Saracens made the most of the numerical advantage. Using a penalty to the corner, the home pack formed as a collective unit to drive Brits over for their second score.
Referee Ian Tempest - although just inches from the mass of assembled bodies on the floor - was undecided on the initial grounding, so he referred the decision to the TV match official who, after numerous viewings, deemed the South African hooker had got the ball down.
Spencer was unable to convert on this occasion, but the scrum-half did deliver another blow to the Chiefs on 23 minutes, punishing Kvesic for infringing at a ruck with a simple penalty.
Up against it, White returned to the fold and with it the Chiefs started to rediscover the rhythm to their play. The tempo had certainly been raised a notch or two by the visitors, whilst the collisions started to become even more meaningful.
A sustained spell of pressure was finally rewarded when Saracens went offside in front of their own posts, allowing Steenson to bang over his second successful penalty of the afternoon.
Now with the bit between their teeth, the Chiefs looked for further reward. Pressing hard and with half time approaching, it was the visitors who saw a potential try of their own through Woodburn denied on review, allowing Saracens to breath a huge sigh of relief.
It was, however, much better stuff from Baxter’s side and at least gave the Exeter Director of Rugby a decent sprinkling of positives to work with during his half time team talk.
HALF TIME SARACENS 15 EXETER CHIEFS 6
On the resumption, it was Saracens who were first to show. Gifted a penalty after Exeter lock Jonny Hill illegally took out Schalk Burger at an attacking ruck, the home pack again used the set-piece to their advantage to propel themselves towards the line. But, as was the case in the first half, the mass of bodies gave referee Tempest little chance of determining the final grounding, forcing another referral to the TMO. This time, thankfully, the decision went in favour of the visitors.
Having survived the home threat, it was then the turn of the Chiefs to counter in attack. White and Woodburn led the visiting charge with a high speed break-out, after which it was sent wide to Sam Hill who, as he closed in on the home line, flung a speculative pass back inside. Sadly, his team-mates were not on the same page as the block-busting centre and the chance came and went.
The Chiefs, however, came again and in their next significant raid into enemy territory, this time they did make their mark, cutting the home side’s lead when Whitten took control of possession in midfield, before shrugging off the attentions of two home defenders to glide his way over for Exeter’s opening try, converted by Steenson.
It was just what the doctor ordered for the Chiefs but, in an instance, another soft penalty on halfway allowed Saracens to strike once more. Declining the more likely punt to the touchline, up stepped Argentinian centre Bosch to power over a sublime penalty to put his side five points to the good in front.
As the territorial battle started to take hold entering into the final quarter, so it was the Chiefs who started to up the ante in attack. Sam Hill and Whitten were continually probing through the middle, while the forwards continued to do their best in the tight exchanges. Often, though, the Saracens defence stood up manfully to the task, producing an abrasive ‘Black Wall’ that was proving mightily tough to break down.
Home full-back Goode continued to flourish under intense pressure, gathering countless box kicks delivered his way by the boot of replacement scrum-half Will Chudley. However, when he was collared looking to clear the danger, the Chiefs pounced on him, winning a crucial penalty in the process.
As is often the case, the Devonians went to the corner with the set-piece. The initial drive looked favourably, that was until it was illegally hauled down by the hosts just yards from the try-line. Quite how Tempest failed to sanction further punishment other than another penalty will remain a mystery. However, awarded a second bite at the cherry, the Chiefs this time failed to make the most of the opportunity, over-throwing the line-out and allowing Saracens to clear the danger.
Undeterred, the visitors continued to push forward and when they gleaned another penalty, again the same tactic this time paid dividends as the forwards drove inside off the line-out, before adopting a simple pick-and-go game that sent Scottish international Low over under the posts for the try, which Steenson converted to put his side back in front for the first time since the seventh minute.
With just five minutes remaining, it was a decisive blow dealt by the Chiefs. However, Saracens were far from finished. The European champions did their best to salvage something in the dying embers, but it was Baxter’s men who were able to close the contest out and head home from the capital with four points in the bag.
Next up, Saturday’s derby date with Bath who, ironically, were the last team to sink the Chiefs on their own Sandy Park patch over year ago.
Saracens: A Goode; N Earle (M Ellery 71), M Bosch (N Tompkins 75), B Barritt (capt), C Wyles; M Malins, B Spencer (R Wigglesworth 53); R Barrington (H Thompson-Stringer 35), S Brits (C Tolofua 40), V Koch (J Figallo 56); W Skelton (M Flanagan 71), G Kruis; C Clark, S Burger (B Earl 75), J Wray.
Tries - Goode, Brits; Conversion - Spencer; Penalties - Spencer, Bosch
Exeter Chiefs: P Dollman; L Turner (J Short 61), I Whitten, S Hill, O Woodburn; G Steenson, N White (W Chudley 61); B Moon (A Hepburn 53), J Yeandle (capt, S Malton 18-25, 74), G Holmes (M Low 68); M Lees, J Hill (S Skinner 61); D Armand, M Kvesic, T Waldrom. Replacements (not used): T Salmon, J Simmonds.
Tries - Whitten, Low; Conversions - Steenson (2); Penalties - Steenson (2)
Yellow Card: White
Referee: I Tempest
Attendance: 10,000