By The Saracens
December 2 2021

A 6 day turnaround sees Saracens travel to Sandy Park on Saturday to take on Exeter Chiefs. Players from both sides should need no incentive for this one – it’s in the blood! Exeter have struggled a bit this season when compared to their own high standards. They sit in 5th place on 24 points having won 5 of their 9 games (they are one of the teams yet to have a bye week). Saracens have a 7 point lead in 2nd with a game in hand. 

Like Sarries, Exeter started the season without their Lions players:- Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds, Stuart Hogg, Henry Slade & Johnny Hill and also lost a number to the Autumn Internationals (Henry Slade, Johnny Hill, Sam Simmons, Stuart Hogg) and to injury (Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jacques Vermeulen, Jonny Gray). Devon Live is reporting that Luke Cowan Dickie is in contention to play on Saturday along with Jonny Hill & Jonny Gray which is the source of considerable joy among Chiefs fans.

Rob Baxter reportedly said last week that “Chiefs players are a bit miserable at the moment”. Chiefs fans have speculated on a lack of cohesion among the forwards (largely due to injury), the branding issues and chopping and changing their fly half (last season’s golden boy, Joe Simmonds, seems to be struggling this season and Harvey Skinner is often the starting 10). If young Joe is having a tough time though, Henry Slade is in the form of his life and no Sarries’ fan will ever forget that extraordinary penalty kick to touch which led to a match winning try back in the 2017 Premiership semi-final

Rob Baxter said this week that he thinks the salary cap affair is history. Asked if this encounter could be regarded as a grudge match he said: “It’s like anything in sport, you use anything you can. If some of the players are still feeling that’s an issue, then that’s great and they should use that as motivation. I don't think as coaches any more you build up any particular game as the grudge match of the year, it just doesn’t work like that.”

Saracens will welcome Elliot Daly back after a 4 month absence. That gives Mark McCall options in his backs. He may opt to leave Goodey at 10, move Malins to the wing (I assume Segun will be out after his ankle knock last weekend) and play Daly at full-back. Alternatively he could play Loz at 10, slot Daly in at outside centre, move Goodey to 15 and Malins to the wing. If Segun is fit there is a good argument for starting him ahead of Maitland. Davies seems to be our first choice 9 at the moment so will almost certainly start. The biggest loss is likely to be Jamie. None of our back-up hookers is anywhere near him. Ethan Lewis made a reasonable start last weekend before his arrows started going off target and Pifileti didn’t do much better. Woolfie, if fit, also struggles at the line out. We need no reminding of Exeter’s prowess from the catch and drive! Maro has to start probably alongside Swinson, just for his experience. Sarries looked better last Sunday when Earl came on but if he starts who drops out? Isiekwe and Billy are undroppable which only leaves co-captain Jackson Wray.

Looking at the stats: in the last 5 games involving Exeter, the away team has won! However Sarries haven’t won at Sandy Park since 2016. The stats also tell us that Exeter have scored 7 tries from tap penalties ( a quarter of their tries) – the highest in the league by some way. Sarries you have been warned! Chiefs also average 56% possession, and are the only team in the league to average over 20 minutes of possession per game.

Our referee is Luke Pearce assisted by Adam Leal & Paul Dix. Stuart Terheege is in the truck.

This one is tight! If Sarries are to win in Devon for the first time in 6 years they will need a performance like the one against Bath rather than the one against Irish. For Exeter the last 18 months have been difficult and there is a lot at stake. For Sarries it is time to prove they are back where they belong. Whoever wants this most will prevail I suspect. Let’s hope it’s Sarries.