Exeter dominate tight exchanges for important win over Saracens

Will Chudley of Exeter Chiefs celebrates victory with team mates

Exeter Chiefs have taken another step towards a Premiership play-off place with a 24-20 win over Saracens on Sunday.

Two tries from Thomas Waldrom, one from hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, as well as 11 points from the boot gave Exeter the win at Allianz Park to keep alive their hopes of securing an Aviva Premiership play-off spot.

The Chiefs currently occupy fourth spot, with Saracens in fifth but with the same amount of points. The race for the semi-final places is well and truly on, with Leicester just a point ahead of both sides. One of the three will not qualify.

Next week, Leicester will face rivals Northampton at Welford Road, while Saracens are away to London Welsh and Exeter host Sale Sharks.

It was a compelling encounter at Allianz Park, with Saracens showing enterprise in wide play while Exeter dominated the tight exchanges.

Steenson almost opened the scoring with a drop goal but missed the attempt, though he made up for it with a sixth-minute penalty for an early lead.

It was Saracens who scored the first try of the day, with Marcelo Bosch sending Chris Ashton in under the posts for an easy conversion for Charlie Hodgson.

Exeter hit back to regain the lead through Cowan-Dickie who muscled his way over, and with the Steenson conversion it was 10-7 to Exeter as the first half drew to a close.

The home side were next on the board with a long-ranging run from David Strettle offering an inside ball to the supporting Chris Wyles for the score.

The up-and-down nature of the game continued, with an Exeter score from Waldrom, who converted another close-range effort. Hodgson added a penalty to draw his side level at the break.

The second half started as expansively as the first but after ten minutes and only one penalty from replacement Owen Farrell, the two sides began to kick a lot of possession away, seemingly worried about gifting a result to their semi-final rivals.

As the game drew to a close, the forward dominance of Exeter was rewarded with a scrum penalty which they kicked to touch inside the Saracens half.

The forwards secured the ball and rumbled forward through the driving maul, before Waldrom darted to place the ball on the base of the post to grab seven vital points with just eight minutes remaining.

Saracens came back at Exeter, but the visitors were able to hold out for an important win in the penultimate round of competition.