Chiefs set to welcome Saracens

By Mark Stevens
30/11/21

Exeter Chiefs last five matches in Gallagher Premiership Rugby have all curiously been won by the away side on the day. The Chiefs have lost their last two home games in Premiership Rugby, to London Irish and Newcastle, and have not lost three in succession in the tournament at Sandy Park since 2014. Saracens only defeat in Gallagher Premiership Rugby this season was by a solitary point at Leicester in Round 3 although they did draw 34-all at London Irish in Round 8.

Saracens have lost just one of their last four encounters with Exeter: 7-14 on their most recent visit to Sandy Park in December 2019. Saracens have lost on their last five visits to Sandy Park in all tournaments since their 34-13 victory there in September 2016.

Referee: Luke Pearce (120th Premiership game).
Assistant Referees: Adam Leal & Paul Dix.
TMO: Stuart Terheege.
Citing Officer: Duncan Bell.

OPTA STATS

• Exeter Chiefs have won their last four home games against Saracens, after winning just two of their previous seven such matches in the Premiership (L5); the last five regular season meetings between Exeter and Saracens have all been won by the home side on the day.
• Exeter Chiefs have won just one of their last four home games in the Premiership (L3) after winning their previous seven; the Chiefs have lost their last two home games but haven’t tallied more consecutive defeats at Sandy Park since March – September 2014 (L4).
• Saracens have lost just one of their last nine games in the Premiership (W6 D2), however that sole defeat came on the road (12-13 v Leicester in MD2); they’ve averaged 36 points per game during that run.
• Saracens are undefeated in their last six games (W5 D1), their longest unbeaten run in the league since March – December 2018 when they won 16 consecutive games; however, that winning sequence was ended by Exeter Chiefs, in a game at Sandy Park (13-31).
• Exeter Chiefs have averaged 56% possession in the Premiership this season, the highest rate of any team; they are the only side to have averaged 20+ minutes of time in possession per game (21.1).
• Exeter Chiefs have scored seven tries following a tap penalty, no other team has scored more than four in that fashion in the Premiership this season; 25% of the Chiefs’ total tries have been scored in that way, also the highest ratio in the league in 2021/22.
• Saracens have scored 2.95 points per 22 entry on average this season, the most of any team in the Premiership; however, only one team has conceded fewer points per 22 entry than Exeter Chiefs (1.8) in the Premiership this season (Leicester Tigers, 1.7).
• Saracens have slotted 3.1 penalties per game on average this season, the most of any team in the Premiership; they have scored 93% of their penalty attempts, the second highest success rate of any team in the league, behind Gloucester (100%).
• Jack Maunder has made a total of 540 passes for Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership this season, no other player has tallied 500+ passes.
• Saracens’ Owen Farrell has averaged 17.1 points per 80-minutes, the most of any player to feature for 200+ minutes in the Premiership this season: Farrell has scored a total of 62 points in the 290 minutes he has spent on the pitch.