Match Report – Exeter 34 – 37 Saracens

Merciless and clinical Saracens clinched a fourth Premiership title in five seasons – and the second double in their history – with a 37-34 victory over Exeter Chiefs in Twickenham, bathed in sunshine.

The final saw no less than 10 tries scored. The first of them, Nic White, has revealed the fastest test in the Premiership final with 27 seconds, beating the previous record of 67 seconds, Josh Lewsey for Wasps against Gloucester in 2003.

For the Saracens, Jamie George (two), Ben Spencer, Liam Williams and Sean Maitland all crossed for the trials. Owen Farrell added 12 points with his kick after two penalties and three transformations.

The Chiefs, who led 22-16 at half-time and 27-16 in the second period, scored by White, Dave Ewers, Jonny Hill, Henry Slade and Sam Hill, but were unable to retain their second title.

As a result, Exeter, playing its fourth consecutive final, suffered a third defeat in four seasons – all against Mark McCall's Saracens.

Rob Baxter's Chiefs scored in the first 30 seconds when the Saracens locked the situation. George Kruis dropped the shot – the bounce avoiding Spencer and drafted by Alex Cuthbert – before the short-range races of marks were finally completed by a white snipe and a dive under the Sarries corps.

Subsequently, Exeter himself gave up the restart and had the chance to avoid a penalty shot with Slade sin-binned for a deliberate shot away.

Farrell kicked in the corner, but seconds later, Saracens was ready for his first clinical trial as Exeter: a rolling maul marching forward before the hitting George hit it. floor. Farrell surprisingly missed the conversion, leaving the Chiefs a slight advantage.

A few minutes later, Farrell was less bluffing, as he inflicted a penalty of more than 30 meters on a slight gap for an 8-7 lead after legal poaching of Cuthbert was sanctioned for Ewers who was not riding .

Maro Itoje's forward pbad in the next serious attack was synonymous with a promising overload, although Exeter Ben Moon's half-header was penalized for the resulting scrum, on which Sarries struck again. – with only a few seconds to play on Slade's yellow card.

A quick shot and a fast ball created the opening of the match after Billy Vunipola took the advantage at the base of the scrum and launched an attack forward to launch the attack. Farrell was again irrelevant with the conversion, leaving the gap at six points.

Exeter came within two seconds of his second try since the restart, while a series of point-blank shunts in the left corner resulted in an offside penalty for Saracens. When Simmonds hit the corner, Exeter was kept on the finish line – again to the advantage – and Itoje was sent to the trash for persistent counterfeit.

Exeter kicked the corner again and although their first start was stopped, this time they would not be denied by Ewers. Moon and Jack Yeandle dropped to the shoulder. It was a fourth test in 20 minutes breathtaking. The exquisite conversion of Simmonds gave Exeter a 14-13 lead.

There was only a few seconds remaining on the Itoje sin-bin period – just like Sarries on the other end – Exeter scored again as Hill got rid of the attentions of George, Vunipola and Williams to reach floor. Simmonds hit the post with his conversion, leaving the match at 19-13.

Four minutes from the break, the Saracens were three points behind when Moon got up and Farrell left the field, reducing the deficit to three points.

The Ewers were blocked over the line of testing at the last minute of the half after Jack Nowell was close to scoring, and following the five-meter scrum, Exeter forced a penalty under stick, which Simmonds managed to take for a lead of 22-16. .

In the second half, Exeter lost an opportunity of punishment when Slade broke the line and kicked before Maitland took the lead for a 22 referees waiver – referee Wayne Barnes having canceled the game. advantage, depriving the Chiefs of an eminently kickable penalty and a potential lead of nine points.

It did not matter though that Slade had a lead of 11 points at the end of the match, which earned him a great pbad to the right. The first replacement, Sam Skinner, had a long pbad to the left, before Skinner beat two men and produced a sumptuous unloading. inside Slade, who reached out to score.

True to Saracen fashion, they immediately reacted when a tremendous kick through Farrell was caught, terrified by Williams over Simmonds. The Welsh wing finished in the corner and Farrell then split the amounts to leave things 27-23.

After 13 minutes, the return leg was over when Maitland entered Slade and finished after substitute scrum half Richard Wigglesworth opened the Exeter defense with a break in the center of the field. Farrell converted for a three-point lead.

Farrell missed the chance to stretch the lead to six points when he missed a mere penalty kick, but George was badured of victory on his second try by diving under the stick at three minutes of the end.

Sam Hill replaced Sam Hill by a consolation essay after 80 minutes, but the leaders remained with a familiar feeling of disappointment, knowing full well that they had missed an important opportunity.