Match Report: Exeter Chiefs 31 – 22 Saracens
A bonus point win against Saracens at Sandy Park saw Chiefs emerge victorious with all five points secured underneath the floodlights on Saturday night.
It was a tense encounter throughout with a penalty the difference between the two sides on the scoreboard at half-time. However, Chiefs pulled away after the hour mark and two tries scored in quick succession put them on the front foot to close out the game as the victors.
Saracens scored the first points when Alex Lozowski went for a shot at goal with a penalty two minutes into the encounter.
The Londoners were reduced to 14 men after seven minutes when Jacques Vermeulen was unceremoniously tipped over Juan Martin Gonzalez’s shoulder at a ruck. After a TMO check, the Saracens back rower was shown a yellow card, and Chiefs went on the offensive.
Patience in opposition territory paid off and a second penalty came Chiefs’ way. With a lineout on the five-metre line, the pack tunnelled the ball back to Jack Innard at the rear of the driving maul. With a single change of direction, the Exeter hooker shepherded the ball over the line for the game’s first try.
Saracens got their own try after 26 minutes. Working off a set piece on the edge of the Chiefs 22, a line break from Hugh Tizard put them on the front-foot. With a slight overlap out wide, they got ball out to Tobias Elliott on the wing who flew over in the corner, dotting the ball down one-handed to avoid falling into touch.
That would prove to be the final points of the opening 40 minutes as the game became scrappy with each side suffering stilted phases in attacking play.
Half-time: Chiefs 5 – 8 Saracens
After a tense opening 10 minutes to the second half, it was Rob Baxter’s men who topped up the scoreboard first. An original maul drive from metres out saw a penalty come the way of the Chiefs when Eroni Mawi was penalised for changing his bind.
With a second drive, Chiefs were brought down agonisingly short of the line. Stu Townsend acted quickly, however, as he fed the ball out to the backline. With a couple of recycles, and a near-interception, the ball landed in Will Rigg’s grasp. Quick footwork and power through contact saw the Chiefs centre reach out one-handed for the grounding.
Harvey Skinner’s conversion attempt rebounded off the left upright, but the Chiefs were back into a narrow lead.
Elliott put his side back in front just shy of an hour gone. A chip kick over the line bounced just beyond Ben Hammersley’s reach as the Chiefs winger was intent on collecting to call the mark. However, with the bounce of the ball, his opposite number was able to collect and run in the try.
Lozowski added the conversion to put his side an unconverted try ahead.
Not content to have the opposition in the lead for much longer, minutes later Paul Brown-Bampoe and Tommy Wyatt set about getting their side back ahead. Combining on the edge, Brown-Bampoe made the break through the Saracens line before feeding his full-back for a third Chiefs try.
Skinner added the extra two points to pull away from a tied score.
Just as the Sandy Park was trying to gasp it’s collective breath, Chiefs had the bonus point. A break out of nowhere from the halfway had them on the offensive. Franco Molina took a charging carry from the 10 metre line to offload ball onto Dan Frost. The hooker was brought down with a boot laces tackle in the 22 but he popped ball up from the floor to an onrushing Ethan Roots to batter over for the try.
Skinner added his second conversion in a matter of minutes.
Saracens comeback attempt was made harder when second rower Harry Wilson was shown a red card for a high, no-arms tackle on Rusi Tuima on 71 minutes played.
Chiefs immediately capitalised. Taking the lineout in the Saracens 22, they launched a powerful driving maul. With backs flying in to add some extra bulk, the mass of Chiefs bodies crashed over with Frost emerging as the try scorer.
Skinner’s conversion took his side past the 30-point mark.
There was a consolation try to come for Saracens in the closing stages. With Molina sent to the bin for the Chiefs, replacement Mawi squirrelled over from a ruck to score his side’s third. Lozowski added the conversion, but it wasn’t to be enough to secure a losing bonus point.
With the Saracens man’s kick, the game drew to a close. Chiefs were victorious, giving their scrum half Townsend the storybook day for his 100th Premiership and European appearance as a Chief.
Full-time: Chiefs 31 – 15 Saracens
Chiefs: T Wyatt; B Hammersley, J Hawkins (Wimbush 77’), W Rigg, P Brown-Bampoe; W Haydon-Wood (Skinner 49’), S Townsend (Cairns 76’); S Sio (Blose 65’), J Innard (Frost 42’), J Iosefa-Scott (Street 65’), D Jenkins (c) (Molina 49’), R Capstick, E Roots, J Vermeulen (Tuima 58’), G Fisilau.
Tries: Innard, Rigg, Wyatt, Roots, Frost Conversions: Skinner 3
Yellow card: Franco Molina
Saracens: L Williams; T Elliott, A Lozowski, O Hartley (Spink 59’), B Jackson (Sodeke 76’); L Johnson (Burke 59’), I van Zyl (c) (Simpson 72’); P Brantingham (Mawi 46’), K Pifeleti (Hadfield 34’), F Balmain (Clarey 42’), H Wilson, H Tizard, M Eke (Tompkins 67’), N Michelow, J M Gonzalez.
Tries: Elliott 2 Conversions: Lozowski Penalties: Lozowski
Yellow card: Juan Martin Gonzalez
Red card: Harry Wilson
Referee: Ian Tempest
Attendance: 11, 236