Last-kick heartbreak for Chiefs

Final-minute penalty gifts Saracens win

The packed Sandy Park enjoyed an extremely entertaining visit from top-of-the-table Saracens in a game that could have easily gone either way on Saturday, with the last 10 minutes being a spectacle of attacking prowess.

Two late kicks, one from each side, proved vital. Henry Slade's 75th minute kick sent the Exeter fans into rapture, but then were silenced when Saracens' Alex Goode nailed a final-kick penalty from 22 metres.

Exeter were nine points down with 10 minutes to go and almost managed a spectacular comeback, mainly down to Jacques Vermeulen capitalising on Harvey Skinners break to score from close range, after a long period of pressure in the Saracens 22.

Hope came, and hope went seven minutes later as the match ended on the Goode penalty, flipping the points from Exeter to Saracens. The result is a double blow as Saracens extend their lead at the top, while Exeter slip down.

While Exeter had the majority of chances, Saracens attacking proved more clinical. Chiefs spent what felt like half their time in the opposition box, constantly threatening with patient build-ups that were thwarted by an excellent Saracens defence. The visitors had very few chances, but capitalised on the ones that came their way.

The game was littered with penalties in Saracens' favour, with 15 of their 22 points coming from them. Saracens' captain Owen Farrell's three penalty conversions, accompanied by Elliot Daly's spectacular 57-metre kick and Goode's final winning shot, will be a kick in the teeth to an otherwise compact at the back Exeter side, something coach Ali Hepher will want to work on in training.

Due to their superior possession stats, Hepher's boys will have been disappointed to see Saracens scoring the first try on the 25 minute mark, especially as Exeter had had much better chances before in the half. The Chiefs built multiple chances from closer than five metres out - often started by an Olly Woodburn moment of magic. 

Saracens' sole try was a spectacular one - Elliot Daly and Max Malins exchanged a quick one-two which would have put Daly through if it wasn't for a beautiful lunging tackle. The ball was recycled and played across the field, where an exquisite drop of the shoulder by Theo McFarland split the Chiefs defence, where he just placed the ball down without a challenge. 

A dry patch followed, but the Chiefs finally scored a try just before half-time, using their trademark move, the lineout maul. After a quick TMO check, the referee realised Saracens prop Mako Vunipola dropped the maul, awarding him a yellow and Chiefs a penalty try.

The teams went in at half-time on a knifes edge at 10-10.

Exeter's possession dominance did not continue in the second half. Saracens instantly got themselves five metres from the line. Luckily for the Chiefs defence, they also copied Exeter's habit to lose the ball before scoring. A scary moment, but the defence held on.

Saracens' chances started to rack up through the half, with Maro Itoje's driving run being illegally taken down by Harvey Skinner, leading to a yellow for Skinner. In the 70th minute, the tide turned back in the Chiefs' favour. It was nearly a fairytale ending. The win was fingertips away, but a lost scrum right at the end undid all their hard work. The Chiefs only take away a losing bonus point.

Exeter Chiefs Starting 15 :

Hogg, Nowell, Slade, Whitten, Woodburn, Skinner, Maunder, Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie (C), Williams, Van Heerden, Gray, Ewers, Tshiunza, Vermeulen

Replacements :

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

Saracens Starting 15 :

M. Vunipola, Pifeleti, Judge, Itoje, Tizard, McFarland, Earl, B. Vunipola, Van Zyl, Farrell (C), Lewington, Tompkins, Lozowski, Malins, Daly

Replacements :

Dan, Flynn, Clarey, Hunter-Hill, Christie, Wray, De Haas, Goode