Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens

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Exeter Chiefs

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Jack Nowell
13 Henry Slade
12 Ian Whitten
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Harvey Skinner
9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Harry Williams
4 Ruben van Heerden
5 Jonny Gray
6 Dave Ewers
7 Christ Tshiunza
8 Jacques Vermeulen

Replacements

16 Jack Yeandle
17 Josh Iosefa-Scott
18 Patrick Schickerling
19 Jack Dunne
20 Sam Simmonds
21 Sam Maunder
22 Joe Simmonds
23 Rory O’Loughlin

Saracens


15 Elliot Daly
14 Max Malins
13 Alex Lozowski
12 Nick Tompkins
11 Alex Lewington
10 Owen Farrell
9 Ivan van Zyl
8 Billy Vunipola
7 Ben Earl
6 Theo McFarland
5 Hugh Tizard
4 Maro Itoje
3 Christian Judge
2 Kapeli Pifeleti
1 Mako Vunipola

Replacements

16 Theo Dan
17 James Flynn
18 Alec Clarey
19 Callum Hunter-Hill
20 Andy Christie
21 Jackson Wray
22 Ruben de Haas
23 Alex Goode

Match Officials

Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace and Jonathan Healy
TMO: David Rose.

Weather Forecast

Light cloud and a moderate breeze from the south south west
Temperature will feel like 17 degrees
Low chance of rain

Television Coverage

SD Channel 409 BT Sports 1 from 1430
HD Channel 431 BT Sports 1 from 1430

Exeter Chiefs only defeat in any competition so far this season was 20-28 at Sale Sharks in Round 4 of Gallagher Premiership Rugby. The Chiefs solitary reversal at Sandy Park in any competition since early February was 17-22 to Leicester Tigers in Round 21 last season.

Saracens have made the perfect start to the new Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign securing five successive maximum point victories, no club has ever recorded thirty league points after six matches. Saracens only defeat in their last five Premiership Rugby away trips was 7-54 at Gloucester in Round 26 last season.

The last seven meetings between the two clubs in the regular season of Premiership Rugby have all been won by the home side on the day whilst Saracens have not tasted victory at Sandy Park since September 2016

I know it's within the rules but Saracens have really played them to the limit with regards to Mako V's 3 match ban. It was reduced to 2 if he did the WR course so the 2 games he missed were

15 October v Bath Rugby (Premiership)
17 October v London Irish (Premiership Cup)

I think it's fairly safe to say, if he played in one of these he wasn't going to play in the other.

I'm sure we would do the same but it still rankles that it's allowed



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:10:21:12:35:19 by ouch!_that_hurts.

Chiefs 25 Sarries 20

Why is Mako Vunipola playing after his red card? He was given a three week ban reduced to two if he completed the cip course. Which takes the ban up to the 23rd of Oct. Two weeks not 2 matches.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:10:21:12:41:07 by Boldeagle.

Quote:

ouch!_that_hurts
I know it's within the rules but Saracens have really played them to the limit with regards to Mako V's 3 match ban. It was reduced to 2 if he did the WR course so the 2 games he missed were
15 October v Bath Rugby (Premiership)
17 October v London Irish (Premiership Cup)

I think it's fairly safe to say, if he played in one of these he wasn't going to play in the other.

I'm sure we would do the same but it still rankles that it's allowed

So what have Sarries done wrong now?

Quote:

Dave Berko

Quote:

ouch!_that_hurts
I know it's within the rules but Saracens have really played them to the limit with regards to Mako V's 3 match ban. It was reduced to 2 if he did the WR course so the 2 games he missed were
15 October v Bath Rugby (Premiership)
17 October v London Irish (Premiership Cup)

I think it's fairly safe to say, if he played in one of these he wasn't going to play in the other.

I'm sure we would do the same but it still rankles that it's allowed

So what have Sarries done wrong now?

Oct 9th to 17th is 8 days not 2 weeks?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:10:21:12:59:16 by Boldeagle.

Thats the problem with the ban system, not particularly happy with the ref team but we rarely get high profile here anyway. Maybe because we are a quiet team, so do not give the refs to much verbal grief.

Good team on our side, strong Sarries, makes a change for them not to have a bench not full of internationals as well as full international starting 15.
Still a very hard task as I believe they have one of the world best coaches, so a great game (weather permitting) on the cards.
Need a win as we have done far better than our league position shows. Chiefs 28-Sarries 20.

Exe 36 - 24 Sarries But I could be wrong!

Think we can sneak this so - Exeter 31 - 30 Saracens

Got to go with a Chiefs win. Ex 22 Saracens 20

Would love to have seen Kata play, what’s happened there?

Chiefs 28 - Saracens 24

Quote:

CullyChief
Got to go with a Chiefs win. Ex 22 Saracens 20
Would love to have seen Kata play, what’s happened there?

If you look at a lot of new boys, they only played early if they were needed as no option, Tom O'Flaherty must have been here a full season before a proper full run out.

East Terrace Central
Our roads are paved with hope, and there are no stop signs.
"COME ON EXE!"

Would of liked Schickerling and Joe to start. Chiefs 31 - 20 Saracens

I think this could be a very hard fight. Sarries are on very good form , despite the close match against Bath. Which if anything is going to make things harder.

Im going 24-21 to Ex

Henry had a good game last week with his skills able to be used for the first time this season; so this week change out 10 and 12! The result will be more sideways running and our wings cramped for space. I also think this combo may well suffer from the 'dog-leg.' syndrome in defence. Whitts playing is baffling to me and after his superb goalkicking two weeks ago I would have preferred Joe at fly-half. With Owen Farrell playing the result may depend on the number of penalties we give away and keeping on the right side of the ref in what will be a very physical game. I am not at all confident but have to go with my heart. Chiefs28 Sarries 22

Sarries defence was uncharacteristically poor against Bath I’m hopeful it will be so again(however I doubt it)
Always interesting tussles……show us where we really are boys…….
29-24

Tight game but Chiefs 24 Sarries 22

Chiefs 22 Saracens 17

Go Chiefs

Chiefs 26-23

Any score that doesn't depend on another 83rd minute try. Don't think the ageing heart can stand many more of those games!

Absence of Kirsten and Sio most strange ….

I’ll go for chiefs 27 Sarries 23

looking at the sides and taking nothing for granted also wondering why goode is not starting its chiefs 21 sarries 13 also think the crowd will hit 14000 in fine voice.

A nervy, edgy, feisty battle. Chiefs 15 Sarries 13

Chiefs 36 Sarries 28

Tough challenge and a real marker for the season. 16th man will play a massive part - Chiefs 30 Sarries 24

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

Always seems to be a close match between us and Sarries at SP.
Home win Chiefs 28 - 23 Saracens

Quote:

Dave Berko

Quote:

ouch!_that_hurts
I know it's within the rules but Saracens have really played them to the limit with regards to Mako V's 3 match ban. It was reduced to 2 if he did the WR course so the 2 games he missed were
15 October v Bath Rugby (Premiership)
17 October v London Irish (Premiership Cup)

I think it's fairly safe to say, if he played in one of these he wasn't going to play in the other.

I'm sure we would do the same but it still rankles that it's allowed

So what have Sarries done wrong now?

So you didn't bother reading what I wrote. You didn't do anything wrong (this time ); my point is that although what you did was within the laws there was no way Mako was ever going to play in the Prem Cup match, particularly if he'd played against Bath. The rules should, in my opinion, take into account reality, not something akin to fantasy rugby.

I'm going to hazard a guess at Chiefs 29 - Saracens 27

Basically the disciplinary rules are too loose in their application.
A 3 week ban should be a 3 week ban, no matter how many match’s the team might play in that period. It’s in the wording ‘3 week ban’ not ‘3 match ban’

I’ve got an uneasy feeling about this one….. not sure our back line has what’s needed to get pas a very confident and fired up Sarries (and there’s no way they’ll repeat their Bath defensive performance)…. Chiefs 17 Sarries 24…:: desperately hope I’m wrong!

Ok, tactical positioning here from near the bottom of the prediction league. Chiefs 21 Sarries 25.
I obviously hope the scores will be in our favour, come on you Chiefs!!

Looking at other posts I am going for Chiefs 28 Saracens 27

Looking forward to this one, our games with Sarries feel like test matches.
Not sure if not playing last week will be an advantage or a disadvantage, mind you having watched Sarries game against Bath, I think they took a week off too!

Tough one to predict. li agree with Cornwall Chief regarding the 10/12 selections, I thought Bristol away was the best we've played for a long time, I'd of kept pretty much the same team. I certainly would have kept Joe in, I have a feeling points off the boot could clinch this one, and OF rarely misses!

I'm going for Chiefs 17 Sarries 20 although it could easily be the other way around! Good test for us though, win this and that will give the squad a massive confidence boost. We know Sarries will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. I don't like them but I do admire them, Mark M is one of the best coaches around and has got them playing very well this season.

I also would have kept Joe at 10.. he’s been starting to show some form so what he needs is a run of games. I don’t understand this chopping and changing at fly half. Skinner is a solid enough player, but IMHO not of the same quality as a Smith, Ford, Farrell, Pollard etc.

Interesting that the coaches don’t want to give Kata a run out yet. With no Devoto it does mean we are once again relying on Whitten a lot.

Good to see van Heerden start though. He’s looked good when he has played so far. A different sort of player to Hill.. more abrasive but still a sizeable unit. Part of me would love to see us sign (Exeter boy) Launchbury but we won’t.. van Heerden and Gray looks like our future second row.

Good team, BUT, our selection at 10 & 12 means, imo, both our attack and defense will be less effective than against Bristol. Dropping Joe at 10 will kill any confidence he got from last week and sums up my thoughts on Hepher. As for selecting Whitts at 12, I'm speechless. Against Bristol we played outstanding Rugby and that stemmed a lot from our selection at 9, 10, 12 and 13, defensive holes were plugged, creativity returned to the back line and we looked in control throughout. Give Joe and Rory a run of games.
Chiefs 14 - Sarries 17

I don't agree with some of the back selections but I do understand them to a point.
This will be a totally different game to the Bristol game.
It will be tight, abrasive and probably a bit of a slug fest fought at close quarters so Harvey's strength in defence and Whitts experience could be useful although he hasn't been on top form for a while.
Rory isn't really a 12
I personally think the key will be the line outs.
I think we can really put some pressure on Pifeleti throwing in with Christ at the front.
No George or Woolstencroft are big losses for them.
All 8 of our pack are big carriers so i think we have an advantage there too.
I expect us to win as long as we work hard and keep our discipline.

No Capstick either? Heart says Chiefs win 27 Sarries 22, head says Sarries win especially if we give silly penalties. Going for Chiefs win

We think the coaches have opted for a heavy ball carrying side with a view to the game being highly attritional.
Mrs PC Chiefs 27 Sarries 24
PC Chiefs 24 Sarries 23
As suggested elsewhere we must not allow the game to be won from the halfway line by Daly's boot!

Chiefs 24 - 21 Sarries. Not at all confident but looking forward to it immensely.

Chiefs 28 sarries 20

Couldn't make it to SP but thanks for a great contest which could have gone either way. The historic animosity between our clubs is belied by the good natured interaction of the fans as reported by those who made the long trip. A lot of comments about the booing of Goodey by a minority but sad to say I think you'd hear this at every club in that situation. We'll give you a warm welcome at Stone X on New Year's Eve. All the best for the rest of your season.

My wife has told me that she's considering ending our marriage due to my utter obsession with rugby.

I'm begging her for one more try!

A match prediction that I think most of us followed our hearts rather than our heads. Always disappointing to lose at home, especially having come so close to finishing the game off.
22 Points: Ouch that hurts;
21 Points: Bold Eagle;
20 points: Dumnoniinomad;
18 Points: Mike the Shirt; Cornwall Chief;
17 Points: Osmium;
16 Points: Scottish Chief; Lowerwatha;
15 Points: Moosechief; Currychef;
14 Points: Hankey; Andy15.1; Alain le Chief;
13 Points: Big Chief Little Chief; Rowancroft73; Not Manichean;
12 Points: Cully Chief; Keithbar54; Plympton Chief;
11 Points: Stokecanon; Chief Firewater; ExTedd Chief; Fisher; Ex58;
10 Points: Lapo; Broken Arrow
9 Points: Ljs399;
8 Points: Clalan;
6 Points: Whiptonchief; Mrs PC; Exeterfan;
4 Points: Last of the Beercans;
2 Points: Seaside Chief; Chief Bert; Minuteman
Next Friday we travel to Castle Grim with Glaws 3rd in the Prem. We will need to be on top of our game if we are to avoid slipping further away from the play-off places.

only one prem game Whitten has not played and we scored 50 points, makes you think

Quote:

mommentum
only one prem game Whitten has not played and we scored 50 points, makes you think

But does it make the coaches think?