Saracens 23 Chiefs 20

Saracens 23

Exeter Chiefs 20

Mark Stevens at Franklin’s Gardens

Exeter’s hopes of becoming the first-ever side to lift back-to-back LV= Cup titles were thwarted at the death as Ben Spencer kicked a last-gasp penalty to give Saracens victory in a thrilling encounter in Northampton.

Having battled their way back from 20-6 down midway through the second half, the Chiefs were ultimately denied when the former Ivybridge Community College student punished Greg Bateman’s late indiscretion with a pressure kick.

It was a heart-breaking moment for the defending champions, who having led 6-3 at the break thanks to two penalties from skipper Ceri Sweeney, were then hit with a brace of second half tries from winger David Strettle (2) and Nick De Jager.

To their credit, the Chiefs refused to lie down and having clawed their way back into the contest with a converted score from full-back Max Bodilly, the young Cornishman repeated the feat late in the game to tie the game.

In the end, it was not to be for Rob Baxter’s squad, who will now switch their attentions to pressing matters both in the Aviva Premiership and European Challenge Cup in the coming weeks.

However, they will take plenty of positives and plenty of heart from a never-say-die display that showed the significant progress that has been made inside a year.

Having inflicted a first semi-final defeat on Leicester Tigers since 1997 the week previous, it was little surprise that the Chiefs stuck largely with the same formula for their latest trip to the East Midlands. The sole change in the starting XV was an enforced one as an ankle injury to Sam Simmonds meant he missed out, so Joel Conlon was promoted from the bench and England international Tom Johnson filled the vacancy.

Likewise, Saracens - who overcame Northampton Saints in the last four - were happy to again go with their tried and trusted as they made just a solitary change, Rhys Gill’s promotion to the Welsh squad in midweek meant Richard Barrington came into their front-row.

And Barrington did not take long to make his mark as he combined with his fellow forwards to milk a third-minute scrum penalty that Spencer duly dispatched from 40 metres to give the Londoners an early lead.

The advantage, however, lasted a matter of minutes as back roared the Chiefs in an instance. A slick attack from just inside their own half saw the ball spun wide to the left where Welshman Tom James collected on the charge. Still with plenty to do, the ‘Merthyr Express’ tore through the heart of the Sarries defence only to be halted 10 metres from the line.

The Chiefs were quickly at the breakdown and having worked their way through a series of phases, hooker Elvis Taione thought he had snuck over for the game’s opening try. Referee Ian Davies was undecided and following a quick conflab with the TMO, no try was awarded but he did go back for an earlier penalty that skipper Sweeney dispatched with aplomb.

It was certainly a bright opening from both sides, but it was Saracens who appeared to be edging the initial exchanges up front. Another scrum penalty this time saw them kick for the corner, but some stout defence from the Chiefs kept them at bay as they looked to drive their way over from five metres out.

As expected, Saracens were keen to test Exeter under the high ball at every opportunity, but Sweeney and young full-back Bodilly appeared more than happy to claim the ball as their rivals in black tore down on them at a rate of knots.

Having soaked up a decent spell of pressure from Sarries, the Chiefs again burst into life midway through the half when turnover ball released Fetu’u Vainikolo on the charge. The Tongan sped away from a handful of rivals before his pass to the left fell into the arms of Bodilly, who sadly knocked on as he looked to race into the open space in front of him.

Exeter, though, were beginning to find their feet and when they won a penalty from a scrum, Sweeney had the chance to double his tally. Sadly, the former Welsh international could not capitalise as his initial long-range penalty cannoned back off the crossbar, then a second opportunity in the follow-up saw him shank his kick wide of the target.

Despite the lack of points, it remained an absorbing contest in which neither side were willing to give an inch. The Chiefs were improving by the minute at scrum time, winning a clutch of penalties that allowed them to gain crucial territory, but Sarries remained firmly in the face of the Devonians, a point emphasised when the imposing Maro Itoje flattened Haydn Thomas with a thumping clear-out.

With Thomas having to depart the scene somewhat dazed and confused, it meant an introduction for Dave Lewis, who wasted little time in getting stuck into the action. The lively No.9 was at the heart of the move that saw the Chiefs claim the lead for the first time, his link-up with James saw the pair tear down field to creat a decent attacking platform deep inside the Sarries 22.

As the ‘Men in Black’ scrambled to avert the danger, Spencer illegally entered the side of the ruck - earning himself a yellow card in the process - and a penalty that Sweeney this time made no mistake in landing.

Even then there was still time for Saracens to create one last chance of the half, but fly-half Nils Mordt saw his drop-goal chance with the last kick of the half drift wide of the mark.

HALF TIME SARACENS 3 EXETER CHIEFS 6

Thomas duly returned to the fray following his momentary time-out during the first period and he was joined for the second period by replacement Byron McGuigan, who came on for Adam Hughes during the half time break.

However, the first real action for the duo on the resumption was merely to watch on as Saracens claimed the opening try on 45 minutes when England winger Strettle picked off a pass from Ben White to glide in unopposed in the left corner.

Minutes later and Saracens were adding their second of the afternoon - again through Strettle - who this time was able to gather a sublime chip over the top to again score in the left-hand corner.

Although both scores went unconverted, Saracens suddenly had the bit between their teeth and smelt Exeter blood. A flurry of star names were summoned from the sidelines, including international George Kruis and Kelly Brown, but crucially the Chiefs were holding them at bay under mounting pressure.

That was until just past the hour mark when a decisive snipe from Spencer off a scrum on halfway saw him create the attacking platform from which Sarries were able to use a series of pick-and-go drives to create the try for flanker De Jager, which this time Spencer converted sweetly from the right touchline.

Up against it, the Chiefs need to fashion a rapid response and having positioned themselves deep inside enemy territory a succession of scrums five metres from the line resulted in a yellow card for Saracens replacement hooker Scott Spurling.

Another scrum was opted for - and although that again buckled, the Chiefs brilliantly went through the phases to create the opening out wide for Bodilly to dive over in the left-hand corner for their opening try that Steenson converted with a brilliant kick from the left flank.

From the restart, the Chiefs came again, Steenson’s break-out fed James who, in an instance, sped down the left flank, selling an audacious dummy along the way, before he was finally felled just metres out. His eventual offload went to the onrushing Bodilly, but the young Cornishman was bundled into touch just a metre or two from the Sarries line.

Whereas it was Saracens who had offered the greater threat earlier in the half, now it was the Westcountry outfit who were throwing the sink at everything

Again the Chiefs poured forward in numbers, using their pack as the battering ram, before the ball was again worked out wide to Bodilly, who somehow squeezed his way over. Even then the officials were not quite sure of the grounding, but after countless replays the score was awarded and Steenson banged over the conversion to tie it up once more.

It had been a heroic fightback from the Devonians, but just as the game looked as though it would be going into extra time, disaster struck for the Chiefs when Bateman was adjudged to have entered a ruck illegally. It gifted Saracens the chance they needed and up stepped Spencer to land the knockout blow.

Saracens: B Ransom (C Fercu 27); M Ellery, M Bosch, T Streather (A Goode 19), D Strettle; N Mordt, B Spencer; R Barrington (T Lamositele 73), J Saunders (S Spurling 50), J Figallo (B Alo 63); M Itoje (capt), H Smith (G Kruis 50); N De Jager, M Hankin (K Brown 50), E Joubert. Replacement (not used):  T Whiteley

Tries - Strettle (2), De Jager; Conversion - Spencer; Penalty - Spencer

Yellow Cards: Spencer, Spurling

Chiefs: M Bodilly; F Vainikolo, A Hughes (B McGuigan h/t), S Naqelevuki (G Steenson 55), T James; C Sweeney (capt), H Thomas (D Lewis 33-40, 60); B Sturgess (C Rimmer 50), E Taione (G Bateman 50), M Low (A Brown 50); M Lees, J Sexton; B White (T Johnson 59), J Conlon (E Holmes 67), K Horstmann.

Tries - Bodilly (2); Conversions - Steenson (2); Penalties - Sweeney (2)

Referee: I Davies (WRU)

UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v Leicester Tigers (A), Aviva Premiership, Saturday, March 28 (3pm)