Chiefs harness collective power to carry with confidence and win breakdowns

Exeter’s dominance of two key areas destroyed Newcastle – but Saracens have similar team spirit

Watching Exeter beat Newcastle in the Premiership play-off semi-final was like watching the Borg in Star Trek; assimilating opponents into the collective – resistance was futile. After the first half the stats read, metres run: Chiefs 366 Falcons 10.

Possession: Chiefs 91 per cent. Territory: Chiefs 93 per cent. I cannot recall a more one-sided play-off semi-final, and if there was stage fright from the Falcons, it was also a remarkable and remarkably accurate performance from the Chiefs.

They will only be undone by a better collective – like Leinster’s – or a side that, as well as being effective in aggregate, has exceptional individuals able to unlock their collective.

Saracens are probably the only such side in the Premiership, and in an equally complete performance they had Wasps beaten after only 20 minutes. While Wasps made valiant attempts to stay in the game they knew it was only pride they fought for. What set the winners apart? They won the battle of the biff; they won the carry, and because of this they won the battle of the breakdown. The rest is history.

You can point to fantastic performances, like those of Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers for Sarries or Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-dickie for the Chiefs, but these were within disciplined frameworks. The principal difference in teams who succeed at the highest level is increasingly becoming narrowed down to how they carry the ball into contact and the accuracy which they show in clearing subsequent breakdowns.

Saracens had a remarkably fast start to their game and their runners came on to the ball at pace, at angles and with a variety of options in support players that put defenders under pressure until they cracked. Having to guess whether the carrier will charge straight, offload inside or out or drag the ball to a looping runner means that defenders have to commit to a decision.

If they guess wrong, the defence is opened up. If they hedge their bets, they cannot make an effective tackle which stops the carrier on the gain line. Either way, the attacking team gets over the gain line. If they can clear the breakdown and win quick ball, space opens up and they are scrambling to realign.

Exeter do not have the individual talent of Saracens but they are still able to vary which player takes the ball into contact and they are – bar none in the Premiership – the most accurate team at the breakdown. Their supporting players get in the right positions to hit the breakdown as soon as it forms.

Also, when they get there they instantly clear defenders off the ball. No having to wrestle players from the side; no partial clearance that allows defenders still to contest the ball – off and away.

Defending against multi-option carrying and instant clearance is very difficult. Not only does it require constant re-organisation as

you are marched backwards, it is tiring and morale-sapping.

When sides dominate possession, it is tempting for the opposition to use what little ball they have as soon as they receive it. Forcing for the killer play rarely works; it turns the ball over and starts the problem all over again. It was so for the Falcons, who will be very disappointed that they were so completely shut out of the game.

Nevertheless, they have done wonders; their challenge lies in creating a squad who can challenge for play-offs and European Champions Cup rugby.

Technically, Exeter were outstanding; Sarries support running in broken field was sublime; Farrell was brilliant and Danny Cipriani’s deft hands went unappreciated. It was, also, a tad dull.

I was trying to think of neutral fans or those of us not tasked with for points of interest on which we can opine.

There is nothing particularly interesting, from a disinterested point of view, in seeing 20 or 30 phases of which few, if any, look like producing a clean break or a change of possession.

Remember, we are not talking here about Premiership vs lower league, we are talking the semifinalists of the play-offs.

The question then is, what happens when you get two accurate teams and there are no blunders and little creativity? You get a game like the Leinster v Racing 92 Champions Cup final this year: worthy but soporific.

Perhaps World Rugby could alter the laws to limit possession to six phases or take two men off either team, or have uncontested scrums, or all three. Silly suggestions? Yes, because we already have one of those three.