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| Exeter's Spectacular Triumph: 11 Tries Demolish Saracens in Record Premiership Upset |
In a remarkable display of rugby prowess, Exeter delivered a stunning performance by scoring a whopping 11 tries to hand the defending Premiership champions, Saracens, their worst-ever league defeat at Sandy Park, setting the stage for a remarkable start to their season.
The Chiefs showcased their brilliance in the first half, netting seven tries while Saracens found themselves grappling with two players in the sin-bin and uncharacteristic errors.
The turning point came when Olly Hartley's try for Saracens early in the second half breathed some hope into their otherwise tumultuous outing. However, Exeter's relentless onslaught continued with four more tries in the latter half of the game, including a remarkable hat-trick by Josh Hodge, leaving an under-strength Saracens thoroughly trounced.
This 55-point loss surpasses Saracens' prior record defeat, previously a 50-point margin suffered in two 60-10 losses to Wasps, with the most recent defeat dating back to February 2020 following their relegation due to salary cap infringements. Exeter could have easily widened the gap further, but they missed six of their 11 conversion attempts.
Notably, this was Exeter's first league match since parting ways with 11 key players who had been instrumental in challenging Saracens' dominance in the Premiership between 2016 and 2021.
Saracens, on the other hand, were missing several World Cup stars, including Owen Farrell, Nick Tompkins, Maro Itoje, and Jamie George, which showed in their disjointed performance on the field.
The game's intensity was evident from the outset, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso sprinting down the right wing just 73 seconds into the match after a fantastic break by Josh Hodge, leading to a try by Harvey Skinner. The tone was set for Exeter's dominance.
Alex Lozowski's yellow card five minutes later for an infraction during a tackle on Hodge further boosted Exeter's confidence, as Greg Fisilau was maul-rolled over from a five-meter lineout. The Chiefs continued to thrive, with Ethan Roots crashing in for another try just moments later, capitalizing on Tom Cairns' clever play at scrum-half.
The bonus point came swiftly as Exeter capitalized on their numerical advantage, with Henry Slade and Hendrickson contributing tries. Slade showcased his defensive prowess by intercepting a wayward pass from Alex Goode, setting himself up for another try. Saracens' woes continued as Aled Davies was shown a yellow card for a head-to-head collision on Skinner.
In the second half, Saracens improved somewhat, with Hartley capitalizing on a break by Alex Lewington to score a try. However, Exeter's relentless assault continued, with Hodge scoring his third try in a breathtaking run from deep within his half.
Rus Tuima added another try for Exeter, with Sean Maitland responding for the visitors. Ross Vintcent and Niall Armstrong added to Exeter's tally in the late stages of the game.
Despite a late attempt by Andy Christie for Saracens, the try was disallowed, leaving Saracens to reflect on a challenging day at Sandy Park.
Lineups:
_Exeter_: Hodge; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hendrickson; Wyatt, Skinner; Cairns, Sio, Yeandle (capt), Painter, Tuima, Pearson, Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau.
_Replacements_: Norey, Keast, Iosefa-Scott, Davis, Vintcent, Armstrong, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley.
_Saracens_: Parton; Segun, Lozowski (capt), Hartley, Lewington; Goode, Davies; West, Adejimi, Riccioni, Hunter-Hill, Isiekwe, McFarland, Knight, Willis.
_Replacements_: Hadfield, Adams-Hale, Clarey, Stonham, Christie, Bracken, M. Vunipola, Maitland.
_Referee_: Anthony Woodthorpe
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