Careless talk costs sorry Sarries dear
WHILE Exeter were toasting victory with their fans in the Wigwam bar, Saracens sat in a sobering circle of truth in the changing room. The likes of Billy and Mako Vunipola stood and apologised to their team-mates for churlish backchat that cost their side the game.
At one point in the first half, Billy was marched back 20 metres for arguing with referee Luke Pearce. Alex Goode, Max Malins and Alex Tompkins were reprimanded like school children, while Mako was ticked off for calling the opposition ‘little bitches’.
These two heavyweights had not met since the 2019-20 season but, on yesterday’s evidence, it remains one of the tetchiest rivalries around. Tries from Tom O’Flaherty and Luke Cowan-Dickie proved decisive as Saracens were left on the naughty step.
‘We were let down today by inaccuracy and ill-discipline,’ said Saracens coach Mark McCall. ‘We were marched back three times, which is not good enough. It’s not just frustrating, it’s highly costly.
‘It cost us points and it cost us decisions later because you’re on the wrong side of the referee and things you deserve you don’t get. Maro Itoje was over the ball a couple of times on the halfway line and we got nothing, which is probably because of how we’d behaved earlier. One or two of the players, who I won’t name, have already apologised to their team-mates.’
Exeter’s Sam Simmonds had a try contentiously ruled out and while Alex Lozowski and Joe Simmonds exchanged early penalties, it took 40 minutes to find the breakthrough try. Joe Simmonds hoisted a pinpoint crossfield kick to O’Flaherty, who leaped above Alex Davies to score down the left wing. Following another Lozowski penalty, Cowan-Dickie sheared off the back of a lineout to score beneath a pile of bodies on his first appearance since October.
‘Simmonds kicked Exeter to a nine-point lead after Itoje was penalised for hands in the ruck, Lozowski struck back to leave the scoreboard teetering at 18-15 and Exeter coach Rob Baxter watched on nervously as his team clung on.
‘Both went hammer and tongs,’ he said. ‘It felt like proper Premiership rugby. Both teams were probably a little bit afraid to lose it but were desperate to win.’