In theory all the ingredients were in place to ensure a tricky afternoon in Devon for Saracens. No Owen Farrell, George Kruis or Duncan Taylor, a fired-up home team with a point to prove in front of the watching England coach, Eddie Jones, and a capricious wind blowing in off the Exe estuary. If ever there was a combination to test the defending champions’ mettle this was it.
And the upshot? The kind of scoreline that sends ominous smoke signals to the rest of the Premiership, a five-try bonus-point dismissal of an Exeter team who were the second-best side in the country last season. The Chiefs, now propping up the table after losing their opening two games, were not at their best but this was the first time in two and a half years they have failed to collect even a losing bonus point. The gap between Saracens and the rest appears to be widening by the week.
There were echoes of last season’s final in the way Saracens took an early stranglehold and refused to panic once Exeter launched their inevitable rally. Across the field there is precision, purpose and increasing attacking intent to set alongside their customary defensive excellence and keen tactical instincts. On this evidence, it is going to take an extremely good side to beat them whether their England players are available or not.
Already Saracens have a perfect 10 points from two games; next up will be Northampton at home followed by Harlequins and Bristol away. Farrell and Kruis (back spasm) are both likely to be available on Saturday. Here it was their strength around the breakdown and control at half-back that stood out, with Jackson Wray, Schalk Burger, Billy Vunipola and Richard Wigglesworth all fulfilling their respective roles perfectly.
If the fifth try from Ben Spencer came as a result of Exeter spilling the ball as they sought to salvage some late respectability, the gap in execution and ruthlessness was almost as wide as the result suggests. Mark McCall, Saracens’ director of rugby, has not forgotten losing home and away to Exeter two seasons ago and was suitably delighted by a performance he described as a “massive step up” from their opening weekend win over Worcester.
“We’re not trying to make any statements but the really encouraging thing was that a lot of what people consider to be our big players weren’t playing. There was a brilliant focus before the game. You really felt it.”
Not since April 2014 when Sale stuck 50 points on them have Exeter been made to look quite so mortal at home in the Premiership. Rob Baxter is not the panicking type but lying bottom for the first time since their promotion in 2010 will add an extra edge to Saturday’s home game against Harlequins. On the plus side, having lost to Wasps last week, they may have already met the two toughest sides out there. “The truth is you can’t just be good against Saracens, you have to be outstanding,” the coach said.
As had been the case at Twickenham last May Exeter needed a good start and did not get one. Soft tackling allowed Alex Lozowski to skip his way through for a fifth-minute try and the referee, JP Doyle, initially ruled heavily in favour of the visitors at the breakdown. Aside from a crazy attempted quick throw from Billy Vunipola that almost gifted a try to Lachie Turner, Saracens looked clear-headed and dominant and deservedly increased their lead when Sean Maitland, following a nice flick-on from Marcelo Bosch, scored the first of his two tries.
With Phil Dolman forced off prematurely and both Don Armand and Damien Welch having to leave the field temporarily, Exeter looked collectively shaken, with Burger strong over the ball and Alex Goode giving a consummate display at full-back. It was not until shortly before the half-hour mark that they enjoyed a concerted period of pressure in the visiting 22, only for a close-range TMO decision to go against them – all they had to show for their first-half efforts were two penalties from Henry Slade and, even when Wigglesworth was sent to the sin-bin for tripping the Exeter No10 in open play, they could not maximise their numerical advantage. A fine covering tackle from Lozowski in the left corner denied the lively Max Bodilly with a try looking certain.
Turning to face the wind at 12-6 down Exeter were pretty much already doomed. Only outstanding defence from Turner and Slade in the right corner prevented Vunipola from scoring Saracens’ third try but the lively Maitland – “I didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘work rate’ until I came to Sarries” – Wray and, belatedly, Spencer rendered Luke Cowan-Dickie’s close-range score for Exeter irrelevant. The message to the rest of the Premiership was unmistakable.
Exeter Dollman (Bodilly, 15); Turner, Devoto, Hill (Steenson, 61), Whitten; Slade, Chudley (Lewis, 61); Moon (Hepburn, 52), Cowan-Dickie (Yeandle, 69), Holmes (Williams, 50), Parling (capt), Welch (Lees, 50), Armand, Salvi (Dennis, 57), Waldrom.
Try Cowan-Dickie. Con Steenson. Pens Slade 2.
Saracens Goode; Ashton, Bosch, Barritt (capt; Tompkins 4-12), Maitland; Lozowski (Spencer, 67), Wigglesworth (Ellery, 79); M Vunipola (Barrington, 67), George (Brits, 51), Du Plessis (Figallo, h-t), Itoje, Hamilton (Rhodes, 54), Wray, Burger (Brown, 67), B Vunipola.
Tries Lozowski, Maitland 2, Wray, Spencer. Cons Goode 3. Pen Goode.
Sin-bin Wigglesworth 32.
Referee JP Doyle (RFU). Att 10,322.
