Exeter v Saracens: Five takeaways as Chiefs ‘get the final word’ in ‘rivalry that defined a generation’ while ability to ‘ice big moments’ books play-off place
Henry Slade (left) and Len Ikitau (right) during Exeter Chiefs' win over Saracens in 2026
Following Exeter Chiefs’ 32-12 win over Saracens at Sandy Park, here are our five key takeaways from the round 18 clash.
The top line
This game needed no introduction, no build-up, no forced narratives. It was simply a shootout for the play-offs; winner takes all.
That tension was reflected in the opening stanza. It was scrappy, ugly, tight. The conditions didn’t exactly help, either, but it was nervy to say the least.
Mistakes were littered across the opening play, and led directly to the opening try, too. A misplaced Exeter lineout in Saracens’ 22, a couple of charged-down kicks and a goal-line dropout out on the full gifted Saracens territory when it seemed they were the side under the cosh.
From there, they made no mistake. Tight pick-and-goes drew in the Exeter defence, before Charlie Bracken zipped it back blind to Fergus Burke, who then sent Tobias Elliot waltzing over in the corner.
It was not the start any of the expectant Sandy Park crowd would have expected when tucking into their pre-match pasty, who were baying for London blood to be spilt on Devonian soil from as early as last Sunday.
Exeter did eventually find their feet, though. Powerful carries from the likes of Max Norey, Ethan Roots and Josh Iosefa-Scott drove through the Saracens pack, drawing a penalty and giving Henry Slade the chance to open his account from the boot. He duly obliged, making it 5-3 at the 20-minute mark.
Nerves kicked in once more, though, for both sides. Chance after chance just went amiss, leaving trench warfare to ensue around the halfway line. A disallowed try for Saracens didn’t help things, either.
The tide suddenly turned in the closing minutes of the first-half, in almost a direct copy of Saracens’ opening score. This time, though, it was the Chiefs cheering.
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A misplaced lineout deep in Exeter’s 22 and a string of penalties saw the Chiefs march up the pitch in double-quick time and allow Norey to dive over in the corner after a clever lineout play. To rub salt into the wound, Bracken also saw yellow in the build-up.
Exeter had the lead at the break, and they had numerical advantage to go with it.
It counted almost instantly, too, as Henry Slade finished off a superb counter-attack played right where Saracens would have had an extra player. He was back moments later, too, slotting his second three-pointer of the afternoon to make it 18-5.
Soon enough, Exeter were coasting home. Nick Isiekwe got himself a score to bring Saracens back into it, but the fact it came either side of tries from Andrea Zambonin and Stephen Varney made it mere consolation.
Exeter had the day 32-5. Exeter had the play-off spot.
The final word
This was the rivalry that defined a generation of English domestic rugby. The two sides had a duopoly over the top flight between 2016 and 2020, winning five titles between them in five years and facing each other in three finals as well. To add to that mix, they also both won PREM and Investec Champions Cup doubles in those years. Generational teams don’t come around often, but we were spoiled with two at the same time.
The scars of that time have never quite healed for the Chiefs, either. The Devonians were among the most vocal in the wake of the salary cap scandal, led by their ever-present chairman and CEO Tony Rowe.
The rivalry still exists, but today felt like the curtain coming down on the first chapter of it. A do-or-die affair, with everything on the line.
The game was always going to be tight, too. It was going to take everything the players had, they needed to dig deep into the well. But that is exactly what this rivalry has been built for the best part of 10 years. It was all rather symbolic.
This rivalry will likely take on a new edge from next season, but what that looks like remains to be seen.
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For now, though, it was Exeter who were left in the limelight when the proverbial curtain hit the floor. Exeter got the final word in a decade-long show.
Play-offs beckon
This time last year, Exeter Chiefs were down in the dumps. They had just endured their worst-ever top-flight finish and had just seen a huge overhaul of the coaching staff.
12 months in a long time in sport, though. Now, 12 months on from whatever last season was for Exeter, they are back where they belong. Exeter are back in the play-offs.
Boy oh boy did they do it the hard way, though. Losses to Gloucester and Harlequins seemed to let the rest of the chasing pack in with a sniff, but just as soon as they tasted those defeats, they beat Bath, Leicester and Saracens to cement their spot.
You cannot say the Chiefs have not shown their play-off credentials this year, though. They have been vastly improved right across the board. Away wins were few and far between in previous years, but they fixed that this season with strong wins over Sale, Saracens and Leicester, grounds they have famously struggled at in the past. Sandy Park has also returned to the fortress it once was, with the Chiefs winning seven of their nine games at home.
You cannot say they did it the easy way, far from it, but they got the job done. Exeter are in the play-offs, and deservedly so.
Moments matter
With a game this tight, the ability to ice the big moments was always going to win the day. Exeter did just that.
The Chiefs didn’t actually create many opportunities across the 80 minutes, but they took the ones that came their way. Norey’s score came minutes after they were camped deep in their own half. Slade’s try at the start of the second-half followed a period of Saracens possession. Zambonin and Varney’s score were also well-taken just as Saracens were building a threating chance.
That ultimately told come the full-time whistle.
Winning small moments like this are what get you over the line in games like this. Exeter won them all.
Bowing out a great
Whatever your stance is on Saracens‘ salary cap scandal, you simply cannot deny the sheer impact Mark McCall has had on the North London outfit in his 17 years at the helm.
Simply put, he has overseen a juggernaut of English, nay, European domestic rugby. Six PREM Rugby titles, three Investec Champions Cups, a CHAMP title and a PREM Rugby Cup tell a story by themselves, but that is more than most clubs could ever dream of in their entire history. He’s done it in one fell swoop, one concentrated block of outright dominance.
The impact of McCall has also been felt in the Test arena, too. Steve Borthwick and Andy Farrell, the current head coaches of England and Ireland, both served directly under him for years before going off to do their own thing, while the core of the England Test side from 2016-2020 was predominantly built around Saracens players. They would go on to win multiple Six Nations titles and reach a World Cup final too.
Even now, the past two England captains, Maro Itoje and Jamie George, have spent the entirety of their careers under the tutelage of McCall, as have current mainstay Ben Earl.
Look, the salary cap thing does leave a stain on Saracens history. There is simply no avoiding that. But what McCall has done for Saracens, the PREM and even English rugby as a whole is remarkable. He deserves all the plaudits that have come his way and will certainly come his way again in the future when reflecting back on his time as director of rugby.
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