Exeter inflict record defeat on champions Saracens

6 months ago 125
Josh Hodge scores his second try for ExeterJosh Hodge scored as many tries as he did in the entirety of last season in the Premiership
Exeter: (41) 65
Tries: Feyi-Waboso, Fisilau, Roots, Hendrickson, Slade, Hodge 3, Tuima, Vintcent, Armstrong Cons: Slade 4, Skinner
Saracens: (0) 10
Tries: Hartley, Maitland

New-look Exeter scored 11 tries as they inflicted a record league defeat on Premiership champions Saracens at Sandy Park to open their season in style.

The Chiefs were scintillating in scoring seven first-half tries as Saracens had two players sin-binned and made uncharacteristic mistakes.

Olly Hartley's try for Saracens early in the second period gave them hope.

But four tries after the break - as Josh Hodge got a hat-trick - ensured a new page in Saracens' record book.

The loss, by 55 points, beat Saracens' previous worst-ever defeat - a 50-point margin in two 60-10 losses to Wasps - the most-recent coming in February 2020 after relegation for salary cap infringements.

And it would have been worse had Exeter not missed six of their 11 conversions.

More to follow.

Exeter: Hodge; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hendrickson; Wyatt, Skinner; Cairns, Sio, Yeandle (capt), Painter, Tuima, Pearson, Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau.

Replacements: Norey, Keast, Iosefa-Scott, Davis, Vintcent, Armstrong, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley.

Saracens: Parton; Segun, Lozowski (capt), Hartley, Lewington; Goode, Davies; West, Adejimi, Riccioni, Hunter-Hill, Isiekwe, McFarland, Knight, Willis.

Replacements: Hadfield, Adams-Hale, Clarey, Stonham, Christie, Bracken, M. Vunipola, Maitland.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe

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