Premiership: Exeter 31-22 Saracens: Chiefs get first bonus-point win of the season
2025-01-26
Category: sports

Gallagher PremiershipExeter (5) 31Tries: Innard, Rigg, Wyatt, Roots, Frost Cons: Skinner 3Saracens (8) 22Tries: Elliott 2, Mawi Cons: Lozowski 2 Pens: Lozowski
Exeter got a confidence-boosting bonus-point win as they beat Saracens 31-22 for just their second Premiership win of the season. Jack Innard gave the Chiefs an early 5-3 lead after Juan Martin Gonzalez had been sin-binned, but Tobias Elliott replied for Sarries 14 minutes from half-time. Will Rigg's try put Exeter ahead again 11 minutes after the break before Elliott took advantage of an Exeter error to put Saracens five points ahead with 20 minutes left. But two Exeter tries in two minutes gave the Chiefs the space they needed to win the game as first Tommy Wyatt and then Ethan Roots went over.  Saracens' night got worse when Harry Wilson was sent off for a shoulder to the head of Rusi Tuima with eight minutes to go, and Exeter took advantage as Dan Frost was mauled over a minute later.Eroni Mawi was forced over after a period of pressure on the Exeter line in the final minute for a late consolation for the Londoners.Exeter's first bonus-point win of the season sees them move seven points clear of bottom side Newcastle in ninth place. They are now 11 points off eighth-placed Northampton.Saracens drop to fifth after Gloucester's win over fourth-placed Leicester, but they are just a point behind the three sides above them.More to follow.
Exeter: Wyatt; Hammersley, Hawkins, Rigg, Brown-Bampoe; Haydon-Wood, Townsend; Sio, Innard, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Capstick, Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau.Replacements: Frost, Blose, Street, Tuima, Molina, Cairns, Skinner, Wimbush.Yellow card: Molina (79)Saracens: Williams; Elliott, Lozowski, Hartley, Jackson; Johnson, van Zyl (capt); Brantingham, Pifeleti, Balmain, Wilson, Tizard, Eke, Michelow, Gonzalez.Replacements: Hadfield, Mawi, Clarey, Sodeke, Tompkins, Simpson, Burke, Spink.Yellow card: Gonzalez (7)Red card: Wilson (72)Referee: Ian Tempest