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Saracens will enter their Champions Cup final against Leinster buoyed by a 38-7 drubbing of Gallagher Premiership title rivals Exeter at Allianz Park.
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Although the league’s top two teams rested the vast majority of their stars for a fixture that served as a likely dress rehearsal for the climax to the season at Twickenham on June 1, it was still an impressive win.
And the five-try try rout has offered hope that Saracens could yet finish top of the table at Exeter’s expense with one round remaining in what would be a morale-boosting victory only given both sides are already assured of home semi-finals.
European champions Leinster await in Newcastle on Saturday as Mark McCall’s men chase a double that was given renewed impetus in changeable weather conditions that included sunshine, hail, strong winds and driving rain.
The brute strength of 6’8, 135kg Wallaby Will Skeltion made for one of the game’s biggest talking points.
Skelton was the architect of Nick Tompkins try by using his giant frame to power through a dense wall of white shirts, surging forwards and bumping off Gareth Steenson before feeding Tompkins the scoring pass.
Steenson was giving away 48kg to the Australian and was sent sprawling in the opposite direction.
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"Poor old Gareth Steenson, being ATOMISED by a giant Wallaby!"
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Will Skelton with an almighty bosh and the offload for the assist!
It is just NOT SAFE to try and tackle him at full speed ?? pic.twitter.com/Vd7n9Mmv4V
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 4, 2019
The commentator summed it up aptly: “Poor old Gareth Steenson, being atomised by a giant Wallaby!”
PA
