RUGBY UNION
HENRY SLADE put in an early bid for the freedom of Exeter with one of the great kicks as Chiefs stunned the champs to make Twickenham next weekend.
Harry Kane may be odds-on for the Golden Boot but down Exeter way they have already given it to Slade.
With his side trailing by three and the clock nearly dead Slade smashed a 60-metre penalty to within four yards of the Saracens line.
Guts
Dave Dennis won the lineout, Exeter drove over and Sandy Park went absolutely barmy as Slade’s mob made it to HQ for the second year on the spin.
Sam Simmonds got the score – with 26 seconds left – but no one in the crowd knew and no one gave a monkey’s.
The big lads up front did the grunt to get the score but they would have been nowhere if Slade had not showed the guts to go for broke. Fly-half Gareth Steenson who kicked eight points, said: “I am not even sure who it was who got that winning try! Henry’s kick was terrific.
“It had to be within a certain range to give us a chance and it was a heck of shot.
“He had the wind but he has got to step up and hit it and he showed class and bottle.”
Sarries boss Mark McCall added: “It was one of the great kicks of all time. He puts that anywhere else and I would be sitting here talking about one of the great wins and fights from a team who were a bit tired.”
Saracens lost Chris Ashton and Michael Rhodes early on but they are one of the great teams at surviving setbacks – until they ran into Exeter.
The Chiefs had fewer Test caps between them than the Sarries back- rower Schalk Burger but they are no mugs – they came into this game on the back of eight straight wins and were Premiership runnersup last season.
Jack Nowell – Exeter’s only Lion compared to six for Saracens – broke the try drought on 43 minutes when he pounced from short range to make it 13-11. The champions chucked the kitchen sink at Exeter but the hosts refused to take a step backwards despite Billy Vunipola running about like a giant bowling ball.
Saracens kept coming and something had to give and it did four minutes from time.
Owen Farrell fed Schalk Brits after yet more Saracens pressure and the South African hooker’s overhead pass found Mike Ellery on the wing.
Ellery went through and over Slade on the line and the visitors were three points up with four minutes to go.
Quality
Chiefs could have folded but then came Slade’s kick and Sandy Park went bonkers but not bonkers enough to ignore the champs, as the crowd gave Saracens a standing ovation at the end of the game.
They have carried the torch for the Premiership in Europe and they deserved it – but they will be back.
McCall added: “When we fight like we did today and with the quality we have – I know we are going to be OK.”