.He's Back.......

By TheSaracens
January 31 2024

And so to StoneX for the second Saturday in a row – I wasn’t complaining, particularly as for both games (Lyon and Chiefs) we had late kick-off times to fit round TV coverage which afforded a more leisurely Saturday morning than usual in the Browne household.   Everyone was still digesting the news about Owen Farrell’s departure to Racing 92 – long-trailed in the media but now confirmed; I was hoping that everything now being out in the open, so to speak, would further clear the air around StoneX after an encouraging display against Lyon in Sarries’ last outing. The matchday 23 saw a few changes from last week as Theo Dan, Jamie, Maro, Nick Isiekwe, Ben and Elliott were now all away on England duty.  There was a good physical look to the front with Logovi’i Munipola, James Hadfield and Christian Judge up top, with the returning Theo McFarland forming a very athletic-looking second row with Hugh Tizard, dynamism in the back three of Juan Martin Gonzalez, Andy Christie and Billy; the midfield hub of Owen Farrell and Ivan Van Zyl was a proven combination of skill and guile and there was power and pace in the centres with Ollie Hartley alongside Nick Tompkins, while the backs looked solid with Alex Lewington, Alex Goode and a Roti Segun fully recovered and hopefully ready to wreak havoc (if last week’s game was anything to go by); it was also good to see Eroni Mawi back in the 23. Chiefs had a squad mixing old and very new, and although they haven’t been quite as devastating during the season as they were against Sarries at Sandy Park on the opening day back in October, they’ve nonetheless been playing with a lot of verve and attacking variation – certainly they’re a lot better to watch than the “kick to the corner and rumble” Exeter of old, effective as that could be… We were treated to a display of phone torches being waved in the stands as the teams came out – an idea borrowed from the ritual seen by some of us at Stade Chabal-Delmas a couple of week ago: for floodlit games it can look quite dramatic and hopefully it’ll catch on more at StoneX when conditions permit. Corny as some of it was, I’d been impressed by the pre-match build-up in Bordeaux, not least the crowd shouting each player’s surname as the match squad was broadcast – although it could get a bit wearisome if all three Vunipolas are selected for a match.

Sarries began the game in hearteningly purposeful manner, looking determined to show that after a stuttering season with a horrendous injury list, 13 players understandably weary from the World Cup plus all the noise around Owen’s departure, it was back to business as what we’d become accustomed to regarding as usual, with Segun and McFarland already looking lively.

It took just 5 minutes for Sarries’  strong opening spell to be rewarded when Farrell kicked a penalty to the corner, with the ensuing maul rumbling unstoppably forward until Hadfield got the ball down for our first score – regrettably, Farrell’s conversion hit the post and out, but a good start nonetheless for 5-0.

Sarries’ hold on the game was sadly brief, as within 5 minutes Exeter drew level when a good passage of play – their first – saw them work through several phases and move deper into Sarries’ territory before the ball was worked out to Woodburn who made no mistake with an excellent finish in the left-hand corner  - the conversion was missed and matters were even once again at 5-5.

Christie looked like he would quickly restore Sarries’ lead almost instantly but the ball was intercepted.

Not to be denied, our Bristolian Scot had more luck with 13 minutes gone when he emerged from a ruck and powered towards the line, only to be hauled down but not before a clever offload kept the ball alive and the always alert Van Zyl was able to surge under the posts to restore Sarries’ advantage – Farrell’s straightforward conversion took the score to 12-5 and already the memories of Sandy Park were fading…….

Sarries’ good fortunes continued as Skinner fluffed a penalty. Maybe this was going to be our night……

Lewington had a chance to increase Sarries’ lead but was unable to latch onto a cross-field kick from a Farrell playing like a man with the cares of the world lifted from his shoulders, a smile on his face and with much of his old swagger.

Segun also had a half-chance but just as he looked to threaten (scare?) the Exeter defence he spilled the ball forward.

Moving towards the half-hour mark and by that point this had shaped up into an entertaining contest, Exeter drew level again after a clever piece of play from a penalty line out – the ball was thrown quickly and Sarries were outwitted as Fisilau then went over from close range, Hodge converting from out wide for 12-12.

In a game that was nip-and-tuck personified, Farrell restored Sarries’ lead to 15-12 with a straightforward  penalty  and with a classic Exeter siege then broken it looked like the cuppas and orange slices would be taken with our lead intact until in the dying moments of the half Hodge landed a penalty from close to the halfway line to peg  Sarries back at 15-15.

An enjoyable first half, with Christie having a stormer, Segun looking lively, Farrell reminding us – as if we needed it – why he’ll be so missed, McFarland looking something like his unique self, and Hadfield, after only a handful of top level games, looking very much the “real deal”.

I had inwardly groaned in the pre-match build-up when I saw that Karl Dickson was blowing the whistle today, and sure enough he’d been his inconsistent, arrogant “get the cameras on me” self. I’m saying no more about him as I’ll just get angry….

Sarries came out for Act Two in similar fashion to their excellent start to the afternoon, and with just a minute gone Gonzalez  - who I fervently hope will stay with Sarries, having reportedly been speaking to Northampton – got to the ball down after a kick from Segun had been fumbled by an Exeter defender (Hodge?) and the classy Puma reacted quickest – Farrell converted from the touchline to put Sarries 22-15 to the good.

Rob Baxter’s (mostly) young charges weren’t to be denied and worked their way forward but Billy saved the day with an outstanding bit of work to force a knock-on just as the Chiefs started to seriously threaten our line.

Chiefs made amends for their error as we moved towards the last half-hour, when the very impressive Hodge picked up a kick deep in his own half, sprinted and shimmied 80-odd metres and create a lovely bit of interplay freeing Tuima to go over unopposed – a dazzling piece of rugby, it had to be admitted – before converting the try he’d created to bring the score level yet again at 22-22.  

5 minutes later, Sarries’ noses were in front again, though, as Farrell kicked a penalty for 25-22.  

Warming to his theme as a man free from the weight of the world, Farrell chanced his arm as we passed the hour with a drop-goal attempt from close to Exeter’s 40-metre line….. and over the crossbar it sailed to rapturous applause from his adoring public – with even my normally calm wife going nuts  - to take Sarries’ lead to 28-22. Was this this “the moment”?

Moving into the last quarter of an hour, StoneX erupted again when the try bonus point was earned when Hadfield bludgeoned his way over the line for his second score of the day after McFarland had been stopped – demonstrating that not for nothing had he scored 11 tries in Jersey Reds’ Championship-winning 2022-23 campaign. Farrell once again added the extras to give Sarries what looked like a secure 35-22 lead.

Sarries didn’t stop trying, though, and in the dying moments our score acquired a 4 in front of it, when McFarland, who’d shown much of his range of skills including those truly remarkable one-handed line-out catches, was first to react to a messed-up kick and touch the ball down. Farrell failed to convert, but 40-22 felt very satisfying, and ample revenge for the Sandy Park debacle.

The ball was booted into touch seconds later, and StoneX was once more a happy place – even from half-way up the East Stand, we could that Mr Farrell was a happy man…..so was I…..

A much-improved dlsplay against a very decent Chiefs side, catapulting us into the top four (subsequent note – Sharks lost the following day, which helped consolidate our position) and with renewed hope of retaining our title.  

Another bonus was the atmosphere and noise from the crowd - it was the best I'd experenced at StoneX all season, and the occiasional "Tomahawk Chop" emanting from groups of away fans didn't dent it. 

Andy Christie was named Player of the Match, but for me it was James Hadfield.

TEAMS:

Sarries: Goode; Segun, Tompkins, Hartley, Lewington; Farrell (capt), van Zyl; Mulipola, Hadfield, Judge, McFarland, Tizard, Gonzalez, Christie, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Crean, Mawi, Hoskins, Stonham, Knight, Simpson, Cinti, Parton.

Exeter: Hodge; Hammersley, Wimbush, Devoto, Woodburn; Skinner, Townsend; Hepburn, Yeandle, Street, Tuima, Jenkins (capt), Pearson, Vermeulen, Fisilau.

Replacements: Frost, Southworth, Iosefa-Scott, Dunne, Vintcent, Cairns, McCaig, Relton.

Referee: Karl Dickson