Chiefs Clinch Play-off Place

Exeter Chiefs picked up a bonus-point win against Saracens to secure their place in the Gallagher Premiership playoffs, spoiling Mark McCall’s final game in charge of their fierce rivals.

The visitors knew they needed a maximum five-point victory if they were to leapfrog their hosts and claim the final remaining top-four spot. Meanwhile, for Exeter, a win or a draw would have been enough to confirm fourth place.

There is no love lost between these two sides. Exeter was one of the loudest critics of Saracens’ salary cap saga a few years ago, and the fixture has since evolved into an intense rivalry.

Saracens started the brighter of the two and took an early lead through winger Tobias Elliott, who went over in the corner after some impressive phases from the Londoners. Henry Slade slotted a penalty ten minutes later to put the home side on the scoreboard.

Rotimi Segun seemingly scored a second try for Saracens, but following a TMO (Television Match Official) review, referee Karl Dickson ruled out the effort after replays showed the winger had knocked the ball on mere inches from the line.

The first half ended in disappointment for the travelling side when scrum-half Charlie Bracken was sent to the sin-bin following what was deemed a deliberate knock-on. Chiefs kicked to the corner from the resulting penalty, and the ball swiftly found its way back to hooker Max Norey, who darted over for his side's first try of the afternoon.

Exeter returned to the sheds with a slender 8-5 lead at the break. They knew they were doing exactly what was required, while Saracens knew massive improvements were needed if they were to overturn the deficit and steal the final playoff spot.

The home side came out firing and crossed the whitewash within minutes of the restart. This time it was Henry Slade who went over, set up by Olly Woodburn via a lovely basketball-style pass. The England centre soon slotted another three points as Chiefs began to pull away.

Andrea Zambonin, who scored last time out against Leicester Tigers, was on the scoresheet again. He went over from close range following a solid build-up initialized by a quick tap-and-go penalty.

Knowing they strictly needed a bonus-point win, Saracens suddenly found themselves 25-5 down away from home against a clinical opponent. They clawed a bit of respectability back when Nick Isiekwe scored out wide, with fellow replacement Owen Farrell slotting the extras in the final ten minutes.

Exeter weren’t done though, and they refused to allow Saracens any hope of a dramatic comeback. With two minutes left on the clock, Saracens spilled a pass and Exeter scrum-half Stephen Varney reacted fastest, hacking the ball downfield before chasing it down to dive over—securing the crucial fourth try and the bonus point for the Devon side.

Henry Slade capped off a Man of the Match performance by converting Varney’s try to cement the scoreline.

Saracens finish a disappointing season in fifth place and will look to bounce back next year under the guidance of Brendan Venter. Meanwhile, Exeter’s journey continues; they travel to local rivals Bath on Saturday afternoon to decide who will punch their ticket to the Premiership final at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Elsewhere in the final round of the Gallagher Premiership, there were wins for Harlequins, Gloucester, Bath, and Sale.

Gallagher Premiership Semi-Finals:

Friday 12th June (19:45): Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

Saturday 13th June (15:00): Bath v Exeter Chiefs

The Gallagher Premiership Final will take place on Saturday 20th June at 15:00.