By TheSaracens
October 26 2022

Unfortunately, and for a variety of domestic reasons I won’t bore you with, we aren’t making the trip to the deep South-West for today’s game so a beer or three at the Blue Ball and pre-match pasty at Sandy Park (not a lot of food choice compared to StoneX, but I do love a pasty….) are replaced by bottles of beer at home and half-time cheese scones in leafy Hornsey Vale. This is always a “spicy” fixture for various reasons, some of which I’m now bored with hearing about and I personally prefer to move on from past (mostly real and some imagined) slights and skulduggery to enjoy the on-pitch rivalry we’ve had with Exeter over most of the past decade. Sarries are virtually at full-strength today save for the injured Jamie George and a rested Marco Riiccioni although Kapeli Pifeleti and Christian Judge are worthy stand-ins. Alex Goode, on the bench today, will be hoping to step onto the pitch at some point as he will if he plays be making his 338th appearance for Sarries, equalling the record set by another Sarries legend, Kris Chesney.

The game gets started and it’s immediately apparent that Exeter are up for this one, dominating the very early stages with almost the entirety of possession without seriously threatening a characteristically well-drilled Sarries defensive line.

The game so far has an almost throwback feel, with Saracens looking to emulate the 2016 side in endeavouring to smother the opposition – not a huge surprise, perhaps,  as it was to be expected that Exeter would come quickly out of the blocks.

With the score still 0-0, Sarries suffer a very early and self-inflicted setback when after less then 10 mniutes Farrell receives a yellow card for what is adjudged to be trip on Nowell.

As the game moves into its second quarter, with Farrell’s 10-minute absence not causing a well-organised Sarries too many problems and our defence doesn.t cough up any points  Exeter do open the scoring after Farrell’s return through a Slade penalty on 22 minutes – although the rebadged Chiefs’ lead doesn’t last long….

In their first attack of any kind thus far in the game,  Sarries move forward on the right through Daly and Malins and then the ball is worked across the field , with good work from Lozowski in straightening up the attack, and then the coup de grace is applied by Farrell whose superbly timed pass sets McFarland free to canter over the line on 24 minutes. Farrell converts and it’s 3-7.

The noisy home crowd (who I note are sporadically performing what Take to be an old Celtic war chant but which sounds remarkably like the now-inappropriate Tomahawk Chop…)  is silenced while even on TV I’m sure I can hear the Sarries fans celebrating!

Back come Exeter, upping the urgency in their play with Woodburn failing to convert a half-chance, and with 2 minutes left of the half and Exeter penalty set up a classic Chiefs maul which results not only in Mako being yellow-carded for bringing down said maul but to the delight of the Exeter fans – extending their repertoire to sporadic booing - a penalty try is awarded and it looks like we’ll be opening our half-time bottle at 10-7.

Sarries are not quite done with the half, however, and a long Daly penalty, awarded at the death, takes the score to 10-10 as the teams retired to the dressing rooms for a cuppa and a well-earned breather.

Although Sarries have at times and particularly in the early stages been under the proverbial cosh in terms of ball in hand – with Exeter in the first quarter enjoying almost all of possession at times – our defence has been well-drilled and with excellent line speed. Our one serious attack has brought its reward and while an Exeter in better form than during most of last season, and playing at home, will always be likely to carry a threat, we’re looking pretty solid if we can keep our discipline.

 The second half begins as per the first, with Exeter and blocks once again parting company in short order, although this time Sarries are able wrestle their way into proceedings, and with Itoje nearly getting over the line and Skinner receiving the game’s third sin-binning for killing the ball, the initiative quickly swings towards Sarries.

Sarries’ momentum is quickly rewarded when within 5 minutes – the 51^st and 56^th – our pressure gives Farrell two penalty opportunities, both successfully taken, to build towards a decent lead and the score after the second penalty reaches 10-16.

Once more, there are distinct flashes of the Sarries of 5 or 6 years ago, defending superbly, gaining control and if need be ticking the score along 3 points at a time.

Sarries suffer a blow on the hour when Farrell suffers an accidental blow to the head which leaves him grounded, before he gets to his feet looking, from what we could see from the aspect afforded by the TV cameras, very dazed. It's worrying. Goode, on his very special day, historic day, comes on.  

Sarries continue to frustrate Exeter, albeit that they continue to work hard, and in the 65^th minute Daly demonstrates why he’s taken part in several long-kicking competitions, planting a monstrous effort from fully 5 metres inside Sarries’ half between the post taking the score to 10-19 as we approach the last 10 minutes, and in doing so, we learn later, he has managed the longest scoring kick in the Premiership so far this season – it will take an inhuman effort to beat it….possibly by Daly himself!

In common with many Sarries fans who have been around for a while, I’m reminded of the mighty boot possessed by the legendary “Celo” Bosch.

Any game involving the Sarries of 2022-23 will always carry a bit of drama though, and just as I’m becoming vaguely comfortable with the idea of Sarries grinding out a penalty-based result, it becomes apparent that (a) I have underestimated the Chiefs’ fighting spirit and (b) I am naïve in thinking that we might just get through this one with a quiet ending and four points…

Daly’s monster of a kick sparks a strong response from Exeter, and as we move into the last 10 minutes Vermeulen forces his way over the line after being set up by the returned Skinner, and it’s Slade’ turn with an impressive kick to take Exeter to within 2 points at 17-19.

Not another nerve-jangling ending, PLEASE……

We’re into the last 5 minutes now and Sarries are trying to manage the game out, but it’s a penalty to Exeter, well within kicking range and Slade does his job to edge Exeter a point in front at 20-19.

4 minutes later it’s game over on the clock and we’re just wating for Exeter to exit a late, late, scrum, gleefully hoof the ball into touch, send their fans into raptures and Sarries on and of the pitch into despair at losing our unbeaten record. But no, there’s one more twist…

A huge effort from the Sarries pack wins a penalty out on our left side and it’s clearly a difficult kick for the left-footed Daly so up steps Goode on his special day for what we’re told is his first tilt at the posts this season - he tees up the ball…..takes a good look at the angle…I say “oooh, he’s going to miss it”….Mrs Jonny can’t watch….Goodey takes his run up amid the noise from a Exeter crowd definitely not respecting the kicker……

…..AND HE SCORES - 20-22 TO SARRIES!!!!!

Cue downstairs and next-door neighbour-annoying pandemonium Chez Browne, a stunned silence among the Exeter faithful – so far as I can tell as I perform an age-defying abstract dance around the living room - and unbridled joy breaks out in the Sarries squad.

I make a mental note to book in for an ECG….

What an ending.

Performances in both an individual and team sense aside, it’s incredibly heartening to be reminded that the players and the style of play may change over the seasons but Sarries players will never stop fighting. Frazzled as I am, I’m so proud of them.

Individually, Maro was rightly man of the match, Theo was highly influential as always, and of course Goodey showed nerves of steel.

As for the team, this was as I say something of a throwback to the mid-2010s -  it’s good to know that when the occasion requires the currrent "basketball rugby" team can revert to what made Sarries succesful in the first place

Jonny Browne

TEAMS:

Exeter: Hogg, Nowell, Slade, Whitten, Woodburn, Skinner, Maunder, Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie, Williams, van Heerden, Gray, Ewers, Tshiunza, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Schickerling, Dunne, S Simmonds, Maunder, J Simmonds, O'Loughlin.

Yellow card: Skinner (51)

Saracens: Daly, Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Lewington, Farrell, van Zyl, M Vunipola, Pifeleti, Judge, Itoje, Tizard, McFarland, Earl, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Dan, Flynn, Clarey, Hunter-Hill, Christie, Wray, de Haas, Goode.

Yellow cards: Farrell (5), M Vunipola (37).

Referee: Tom Foley