Boil over: Tempers flare as Exeter get revenge on Saracens
Exeter took revenge on arch-rivals Saracens in their first meeting since the salary-cap scandal broke but their 14-7 Gallagher Premiership victory was marred by a late red card for Harry Williams as tempers flared at Sandy Park.
Converted tries by Nic White and Jacques Vermeulen scored in each half swept the Chiefs to a victory against opponents who have been docked 35 points and fined £5.4million for exceeding the league’s £7m ceiling for wages.
Exeter had more reason than any other Premiership club to feel aggrieved after losing the two most recent Premiership finals to Mark McCall’s men, prompting their owner Tony Rowe to call for them to be stripped of their titles and threaten legal action.
For all the Chiefs’ anger – director of rugby Rob Baxter has also been vocal in his dismay at Saracens – an ugly match failed to ignite until the 77th minute when a ferocious brawl broke out on the sideline.
It's just got very heated at Sandy Park! ??
Duncan Taylor grappled into touch and a large mele ensues…
Harry Williams earns a second yellow card for his involvement from the bench. ? pic.twitter.com/tqGpivNoPO
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 29, 2019
It was sparked by White sitting on Duncan Taylor and in a flash large numbers of players locked horns, including the substituted Williams who joined in from the Exeter dug out.
Once peace had been restored, referee Wayne Barnes declared the tighthead prop’s behaviour “not acceptable” and showed him a straight red card.
Williams even invited England team-mate Mako Vunipola to continue the fight in front of a record Sandy Park crowd of 13,593 before Barnes intervened to issue marching orders to a player who was also sin-binned earlier in the game.
Up until that point the grudge match had lacked fireworks, the closet to a flashpoint being a simultaneous dressing down delivered by Barnes to both captains for protesting against decisions he had made.
Two poor missed penalties by Owen Farrell were jeered and when Exeter had the wind in their sails for the second half they received noisy support, their defensive resilience particularly rousing for home fans.
Saracens were awarded a last-gasp penalty try to salvage a losing point from a chastening trip to Devon as they continue their desperate battle for top-flight survival.
Billy and Mako Vunipola were prominent as Saracens created an early overlap that was wasted by Jackson Wray’s dismal pass when acting at scrum-half and errors began to compound for the nervy champions.
A poor pass from Farrell to Max Malins was hacked downfield by White and the Australia scrum-half was first to the ball as it crossed the line, offering an easy try.
Farrell then missed a routine penalty, a Saracens scrum was shoved backwards and another opportunity went begging in the right corner.
Exeter were equally jittery at times with White’s poor decision-making a hindrance, but their whitewash stayed intact again when Jack Nowell forced a penalty against Billy Vunipola.
Williams went in at the side to earn a yellow card but his side survived the next 10 minutes, although they spent most of the period defending deep in their own half.
Farrell missed an even easier penalty and Saracens continued to see points flash before their eyes as Jamie George was held up over the whitewash following a line-out drive involving almost every visiting player.
Exeter emerged for the second half a more purposeful team and the scales now tilted in their favour as they staged attack after attack, reversing Saracens’ territorial advantage.
Their second try was not pretty but the swarm of forwards that battered away from close range eventually made their mark as Vermeulen forced his way over.
Fly-half Joe Simmonds had converted both tries to leave Saracens trailing 14-0 but a long kick by Farrell that was almost gathered by Richard Wigglesworth was headed off by Sam Simmonds.
A dramatic final 10 minutes set pulses races as they rivals came to blows, but Exeter had already done enough.
Press Association
Images from the match:
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments