Chiefs 35 Saints 12
Exeter Chiefs 35
Northampton Saints 12
Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
New Year, Fresh Start!
Having ended 2022 with a serious bout of capital punishment at the hands of league leaders Saracens, 2023 started in perfect fashion for the Exeter Chiefs as they brushed aside the attentions of Northampton Saints at Sandy Park to claim maximum reward.
Skipper Lukę Cowan-Dickie led the way, scoring two tries in a man-of-the-match display. However, the sight of him being carried from the field with an ankle injury in the second half by medics is a grave concern, both for club and country.
Watching England head coach Steve Borthwick will undoubtedly want the Cornishman for the upcoming Six Nations and World Cup later in the year, such is his wealth to what he brings to the party.
The Chiefs - and England for that matter - will hope Cowan-Dickie’s injury is nothing major, especially given the form he has shown in recent weeks both in the Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup.
He was the stand-out figure on display in this encounter, but there were plenty of other Chiefs who were equally impressive. Compared to the previous week at Saracens, this was a ‘night and day’ performance, which also yielded converted tries for Sam Simmonds, Olly Woodburn and Henry Slade.
Northampton - who had won the corresponding fixture 26-19 at Franklin’s Gardens back in November - were worthy opponents, challenging their rivals throughout. However, tries from Fraser Dingwall and Matt Proctor, one of which was converted by George Furbank was never going to be enough for them.
Ahead of kick-off, the hosts were buoyed by the return of some of their heavyweight hitters for the first of four home games in five weeks. Cowan-Dickie, Jack Dunne, Dave Ewers and Sam Simmonds were all back in the mix, while behind the back division remained unchanged as the Chiefs looked to get their Premiership push back on track.
The Saints, meanwhile, welcomed back Mikey Haywood and Alex Coles in their pack, as well as South African flyer Courtnall Skosun in their back division. That trio, however, could do little to halt a storming start from the Devonians, who took just three minutes to make their mark.
Sustained pressure from the Chiefs form the kick-off saw Baxter’s side set up camp deep in enemy territory. A heavy attacking bombardment ensued, before they fashioned the opening for No.8 Sam Simmonds to squeeze over in the left corner. Younger brother Joe obliged with the testing touchline conversion to make it a maximum haul.
It was just the start the Chiefs would have craved, particularly for Simmonds, one of four names in the home line-up who would have been hoping to impress new England head coach Steve Borthwick, who was an interested spectator in the back of the Baxter Suite.
Another, though, who will certainly have caught the eye is Woodburn, who has been in scintillating club form this season. The winger doubling his side’s lead on 15 minutes when, following great work from Joe Simmonds in chasing his own kick deep into the Saints 22, the Chiefs turned over possession to set up firstly Josh Hodge, then Woodburn, who did the rest with a stunning finish in the corner for his 50th Premiership try.
Just as he done earlier, Joe Simmonds plundered the testing touchline kick to make it 14-0.
The dominant Chiefs were certainly on the front foot, but the concession of more soft penalties and a set-piece which was ‘mixed’ at best, meant the Saints were always there or thereabouts in terms of the contest. That was, until the half-hour mark, when the Chiefs struck for a third time.
An initial long-throw at the line-out from Cowan-Dickie found Solomone Kata, but as he went to claim the ball, he was taken out in the air, meaning the hosts were awarded another penalty. Rather than a shot at goal, the ball was dispatched to the corner, the line-out was set-up and there was Cowan-Dickie, on the back of the forward thrust, to dot down with aplomb.
The remainder of the half was largely restricted to a bit of a slug-fest in the difficult conditions, but the Chiefs were happy to take the steam out of things, eventually running down the clock with little issue.
HALF TIME:EXETER CHIEFS 21NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 0
Although up against the elements for the second half, the Chiefs wasted little time in setting up their attacking strategy on the resumption. Indeed, it took just four minutes for them to make their mark, three successive penalties from the Saints allowed the hosts to set up camp deep behind enemy lines.
With the third penalty, Cowan-Dickie took the tap, fed Scott Sio, whose thrust towards the line put the Chiefs in prime position. A couple of pick-and-go moves later, the ball was presented perfectly at the base for ‘Captain Fantastic’ to do what he does best, picking up and burrowing his way to the whitewash.
Bonus point safely secured, already there were plenty thinking this could be a long afternoon for the Saints. The visitors, however, had other ideas and with their first meaningful pressure of the game, they used their forwards to set the platform for Alex Mitchell to fling a pass wide to his left, where Dingwall was on hand to dot down in the corner for the try, converted by Furbank.
The score clearly ignited the visitors, who were now looking a more creditable threat than they had done so for the first 40 minutes in Devon.
However, just as they looked as though they had got their act into gear, Mitchell’s intended pass to the right was plucked from the night sky by Slade, who won’t get an easier score this season. He trundled in for his third try in as many home games.
It was a sucker punch that the Saints could ill afford, but to their credit they continued to offer a stubborn resistance. Mitchell looked to atone for his earlier error, fly-hacking the ball and instigating a sprint to the line with Jack Nowell. He appeared to win that race, but he didn’t spot the lightning Hodge who was in hot pursuit, the home full-back produced a wonderful try-saving intervention.
Undeterred, the Saints continued to pile forward in the hope of salvaging something from their afternoon’s endeavours. Coles led the charge, picking a lovely line, before releasing Proctor who was able to scorch clear of the home cover and dive over for the try.
The remainder of the contest became a scrappy, stop-start affair, but again this mattered not to the Chiefs, who were able to make the most of the situation to record a hearty start to their New Year aspirations.
Chiefs: J Hodge; J Nowell, H Slade, S Kata (R O’Loughlin 70), O Woodburn; J Simmonds (H Skinner 63), S Maunder (J Maunder 63); S Sio (J Kenny 63), L Cowan-Dickie (capt, J Yeandle 58), H Williams (J Iosefa-Scott 67); D Jenkins (R van Heerden 67), J Dunne; D Ewers, C Tshiunza, S Simmonds (G Fisilau 67).
Tries - S Simmonds, Woodburn, Cowan-Dickie (2), Slade; Conversions - J Simmonds (5)
Saints: T Freeman (T Collins 55); J Mann, M Proctor, F Dingwall (C Braley 68), C Skosun (R Hutchinson 47); G Furbank, A Mitchell; A Waller (E Iyogen 54-63), M Haywood (R Smith 58), P Hill (A Petch 62); A Coles (K Wilkins 72), A Moon; L Salakaia-Loto, A Scott-Young (S Graham 63), L Ludlam (capt).
Tries - Dingwall, Proctor; Conversion - Furbank
Referee: A Leal
Attendance: 8,215