Aitchison showed her class at No.10

SARACENS fly-half Holly Aitchison, who is usually found at centre but was at 10 for the injured Zoe Harrison, had a near-perfect game and head coach Alex Austerberry, was full of praise for his playmaker.

“She is an unbelievably gifted player,” he said. “She is a threat with ball in hand, has great feet and pass distribution. She commands the game, her kicking game I thought was outstanding.

“I get to see her dayin, day-out and I know what she’s capable of. To perform at the highest of levels, just where her game can get to is truly special.

“With the World Cup coming up and a home World Cup in 2025, with performances like that she will be front and centre of everything.”

On star player Marlie Packer, Austerberry said: “She’s blowing people away. “The difference now is that she’s doing it for 80 minutes on the biggest of stages. Whether that’s in a Saracens or England shirt, shaping and impacting big games. She’s a world-class player. She’s in the form of her life and long may it continue.”

Aitchison added: “I don’t know how to put it into words. It has been a really long year and we have had a lot of injuries, but I am so proud of the group and thrilled to get the win today.

“It is definitely settling to have people like Marlie Packer, Poppy Cleall and Hannah Botterman around. Marlie is in such good form, she is one of the best players in the world at the moment. Having players like that around you makes my job a lot easier.”

Exeter coach Susie Appleby said: “We’ve probably achieved more than we ever could have imagined in our second season. But it doesn’t take away from the disappointment.”