Sarries Looking To Avoid Cup Exet

Saracens vs Exeter Chiefs.  The LV= Cup.  Sunday 8 February 2015. Allianz Park. Saracens have a stiff test in their final pool 1 game as they host an Exeter Chiefs side who are the current holders of the LV= Cup and have made a strong defence of it, topping Pool 4 by seven points to qualify for the semi-finals already, although they will want to claim a home tie to give themselves the best possible chance of reaching Franklins Gardens on 22 March.  

If this is to be the last LV= Cup, given the changes to fixtures next season caused by the World Cup, it's certainly looking like the pool stages will end in competitive style, no mean feat given that only one side goes through from each pool. In all probability, Saracens will need to win to claim a home semi-final place, as it seems unlikely that both Gloucester and Bath, who have ten and nine points compared with Sarries' twelve, will slip up at home to Harlequins and Ospreys respectively, both of whom are out of contention. The interaction between Pools 2 and 3 is intriguing. Leicester Tigers lead Pool 3 but travel to a Cardiff Blues side who are at the Pool 2 summit. A win for either side guarantees them a semi-final place, which, if they claim the bonus point, would be at home. Northampton need Leicester to win in order to have any chance of progress, and they need to beat Wasps as well at Franklins Gardens. In contrast, Wasps will want Cardiff to win, whilst claiming a victory at the Saints. Looking at the permutations, the home ties look likely to go to the winners at Allianz Park and the Arms Park, but who they will be facing is less clear.

Last time around, Exeter were the outsiders in the competition, even though Sandy Park had been announced as the final venue well before the pool stages entered their final climax. They had dramatically managed to seal a semi-final tie at the Rec against Bath, a side they had never beaten in eleven attempts, and it was more of the same, as they trailed 13-8 at the break, with Luke Arscott claiming the Chiefs' try. He claimed another and Exeter hit the front in the second half through Fetu'u Vainikolo, but there was a nervous finish as the hosts missed a kick right at the end to force extra time, and the visitors escaped with a 22-19 win. That meant a final against Northampton on an emotional Sunday in Devon, and a powerful display saw tries from Chris Whitehead and Dean Mumm earn a 15-8 win, and the first major honour in Exeter's 143 year history, as the Saints lost their fourth final in as many years. Saracens, had, as in the previous season when they were edged out at Sale, lost a semi-final away, this time around at Northampton.

This season, by a quirk of the fixtures, the Chiefs had two home ties in successive weeks in the pool stages. They started the campaign with a thrilling 28-27 success against Gloucester, featuring tries from Adam Hughes and Vainikolo, as well as a penalty try, although escaped again as the Cherry and Whites struck the woodwork with a late penalty. They backed this up with another win against Bath, 18-6, with Carl Rimmer and Moray Low scoring the tries. Last week's resumption of the competition brought an entertaining 37-32 bonus point success at Newport Gwent Dragons, as Hughes, Vainikolo, Tom James and Sam Skinner claimed tries, and the Chiefs were awarded a penalty try too.

The line up at Rodney Parade featured Namibian full back Byron McGuigan, who only joined the club in November. Powerful Tongan winger Vainikolo was on the right, with former Cardiff Blue Tom James on the opposite wing, alongside a centre partnership formed of former Ulster player Ian Whitten and the versatile Ian Hughes, who moved from Bristol in the summer. The half-back combination featured the vastly experienced Welsh fly half Ceri Sweeney, who captained the side, alongside the equally experienced scrum half Haydn Thomas, who has in excess of 150 appearances for the Devon club. Into the forwards. and Brett Sturgess, now seven years at the club, featured at loosehead prop, whilst Tongan Elvis Taione, another new signing this year, was at hooker and the tighthead prop berth was filled by Tomas Francis, formerly at London Scottish. At lock, Will Carrick-Smith combined with Irish under 20 Jerry Sexton, whilst the back row consisted of the long serving Tom Johnson with local product Sam Simmonds at flanker, whilst young number 8 Sam Skinner completed the starting line up.

With a blend of youth and experience reaping dividends for the Chiefs so far, Saracens will face their stiffest test yet, having come through challenges at Ospreys and London Welsh as well as earning a narrow home win over a second string Harlequins side. However, given the spirit shown by a side with a number of modifications given the two games played last weekend, and the clean sweep of victories in both the "A" League and LV= Cup, Sarries may opt for continuity whilst adding some of the wider squad. So a possible line up could be Ben Ransom at full back, with Mike Ellery and Catalin Fercu on the wings, alongside a centre partnership of Tim Streather and Chris Wyles, and the usual half back combination of Nils Mordt and Ben Spencer. In the forwards, Rhys Gill, Jared Saunders and Biyi Alo could make up the front row, with Jim Hamilton accompanying Jack Tredrea at lock, and a back row of Hayden Thompson-Stringer, Matt Hankin and Nick de Jager.