365 Sporting Days

The first Premiership match of the season for both teams saw a great start for Exeter, an unusual knock on at the kick of by Nick Isekwie saw a scrum put in for Exeter, Saracens won a free kick but Exeter absolutely made the most of the ball kicked back to them, they were helped by a couple of missed tackles, but Imannuel Feyi-Waboso scored a great try, Henry Slade missed the conversion. A great start for the home team.

Exeter won a penalty on the next scrum, it was kickable but they kicked to touch, Josh Hodge who looked great last year made a good break, Alex Lozowski added to Saracens early woes in leaving a trailing arm that hit Hodge on the head, that was a rightful yellow card. I hope Lozowski was shaking his head at his own actions and not the card. Saracens won that line out through Theo McFarland.

Another penalty was conceded by Saracens which gave Exeter a line out close to the Saracens line, they rolled over to score their second try, Greg Fisilau had the ball in his hands! With less than 8 minutes on the clock! Saracens had given away 5 penalties in that time. Slade added the extras.

Saracens were in an absolute of disarray, a great run by scrum half Tom Cairns put Exeter on the front foot after the ball had been knocked towards him from a line out. Exeter moved the ball quickly with Hodgson involved again and Ethan Roots powered over the line after the ball had gone into a ruck. I thought there was a hint of a forward pass in the build top but that wasn’t checked. Under 13 minutes on the clock and Exeter were 17 ahead! Saracens hadn’t had possession in the Exeter half!

Exeter scored their 4th and Bonus Point try in the 17th minute, Tom Hendrickson showing his speed after a lovely kick over the top of any Saracens defenders, he gathered the ball and there was no stopping him. 18 minutes on the clock and the score was Exeter 22 Saracens a big fat ZERO!

Henry Slade was handed Exeters FIFTH try on a plate as a long pass was thrown by a Saracens player, I can’t see who, Slade collected the ball and ran in to score what will probably be his easiest try of the season. To add to Saracens woes Aled Davies was proven to have gone head to head with Skinner and another yellow was brandished. He was lucky it wasn’t red. Slade added the extras and the score went to Exeter 29 Saracens NIL.

Saracens were awarded a penalty in the Exeter half and in common with the game to that moment Alex Goode kicked the ball dead, I can only imagine how the Saracens coaching team were feeling as the camera panned to them.

_Josh Hodge made the most of another lovely kick, Tom Parton made an effort to take the ball but Hodge was the man who touched to down, 31 minutes on the clock and 36 points for Exeter. Jackson Wray was on his first commentary stint, poor bloke!

I am a fan of Josh Hodge and he scored the best try of the half using both strength and speed to dot the ball down, it was a cracker! What a start to the season for Exeter Chiefs! 41 NIL with time for another!

Saracens actually had some possession close to the Exeter line, winning a couple of penalties with the clock on red, they naturally lost their line out from the final penalty (that was the way this game was going) and Exeter fired the ball into touch. Exeter had played some lovely rugby, Saracens, I have no words!

I imagine there were lots of words in the dressing room, Manu Vunipola kicked off on the 2nd half, on while Tom Parton was having an HIA, at least. Olly Hartley, playing at 12 showed his pace out on the wing to score a good try for Saracens to start the half off well for the visitors. In the build up there was a tackle on Rotimi Segun the officials were unhappy with, it was deemed a tip tackle and Tommy Wyatt was sent to the bin for 10 minutes, that fell a little harsh top me. Andy Christie was also on for Saracens making his first start since he broke his arm at the end of last season. At least Saracens wouldn’t be nilled. At this point I left the live game to head into London, to watch the Wales game before Madonna at The O2. Before I went there was time for goal line drop out as there was no clear try as Exeter trundled over, again. I’ll be dreading checking the score later!

Things didn’t get much better as I traveled into London, Sofa Score kept me abreast of things, but here on Sunday afternoon I’m back to watch the rest.

Josh Hodge had, I thought, scored the try of the match in the first half but no, I’m inclined to think his next was the one, his hat-trick try. The ball came out from an Exeter scrum, he was away on the right and as the ball came to him he turned the burners on to elude several trailing Saracens players, to score an absolute belter. BT Sport in its new quite as TNT seem to think it’s a good plan to talk to the try scorer as he’s walking back – strange to say the least to have a microphone shoved in your face!

There was a moment of controversy when Alex Lozowski tackled Tom Cairns as he was passing the ball, unlike in previous seasons it wasn’t played again and again by the TV, but it was checked by the TMO and he was happy with it. Cairns returned to the fray after some attention from the medics. Tom Willis did, however give a penalty away giving Exeter another good platform. They set themselves up to attack from the 5 metre line and Rush Tuima took the ball across the line. That took them to 53 points! and was Exeter’s 8th try – so far. Slade kicked the conversion wide.

Ralph Adams Hale had come on for Saracens, sadly, considering his injury record, he was led from the field with his arm being held by the medic, hopefully that’s not another long term injury.

There was a lull in the scoreboard ticking over, the Saracens players, of course, looked totally disheartened. They won a scrum penalty and Manu Vunipola kicked well to the corner, Saracens were awarded a penalty and Davies took it quickly, he was thwarted but the ball was recycled to Sean Maitland out on th Ewing, with a lovely pass from Isekwie. The kick was on the side line, and missed.

Exeter weren’t finished with adding their points, but before they added more, Aled Davies had blood pouring from his head, his shirt was covered too, he was required to leave to be cleaned up, Charlie Bracken came on for Saracens, a very famous name. Josh Hodge who was the deserved Man of The Match was substituted to great applause.

Alex Goode, has a habit of stepping across players and did so to any boo’s, before that was looked at Exeter had a potential try anyway, the build up had seen Saracens lose the ball a couple of times, replacement Ross Vintcent scored the 10th try of the afternoon, Goode got away with taking Niall Armstrong out as it was deemed he’d run into him, I think he was lucky, again.

Niall Armstrong had the last word of the game as Harvey Skinner passed perfectly as he ran up the pitch, Will Haydon-Wood wa son his shoulder and Armstrong on his, another great try. Andy Christie did look to have scored through Andy Christie but the officials deemed there was interference by Tom Willis, no try!

This was a rout by Exeter Chiefs, what a start to their Premiership season! On the stats front Saracens gave away 10 penalties to Exeter’s 9. Saracens made 141 tackles and missed 26, Exeter made 113 and missed 18. Exeter made 667 metres to Saracens 315 and Exeter made 16 clean breaks too Saracens 7. A dominant performance all round. Saracens play Bath at hime in their next match, Exeter play away against Harlequins. I imagine the journey home on the Saracens bus was a quiet one, their training will be interesting this week.

No link to the wonderful photos taken by Adedapo Segun this week. he wasn’t allowed to take any sadly.