Preview: Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens - prediction, team news, lineups

Exeter Chiefs invited Saracens to Sandy Park this Saturday for the last gameweek of this year's regular Premiership Rugby season.

The Chiefs clinched an emphatic 35-26 triumph against Leicester Tigers past weekend, portion Sarries bushed Harlequins 26-12 astatine the StoneX Stadium.

Match preview

Following a patchy tally of form, Exeter returned to winning ways connected Sunday with a pulsating precocious triumph against high-flying playoff rivals Leicester.

Leading by 11 points with 25 minutes remaining, Rob Baxter’s men were pegged backmost by 2 Tigers tries, nevertheless a precocious Andrea Zambonin people gave the Chiefs maximum points successful Leicestershire.

By leaving nary scraps for their hosts, Exeter present beryllium lone 2 points down Geoff Parling’s men, giving them the accidental to leapfrog past weekend’s opponents erstwhile they look fierce rivals Saracens connected Saturday.

Winning each of their erstwhile 2 matches against Sarries, the Chiefs volition surely beryllium assured that they tin physique further momentum this play and bash the league treble implicit the northbound London broadside for the archetypal clip since the 2017-18 campaign.

After looking down and retired of the playoff combat a substance of weeks ago, Saracens person catapulted themselves backmost into contention up of the last play with an outstanding tally of form.

Mark McCall’s men suffered back-to-back defeats against Bath and Northampton Saints successful March, but person since won 5 consecutive matches to support their hopes of winning silverware alive.

Although they person a superior points quality to some Exeter and Leicester supra them, Sarries are required to triumph connected Saturday if they are to leapfrog either successful the array and publication their spot successful the last four. 

With McCall stepping down from his station astatine the extremity of the season, the squad volition undoubtedly beryllium looking to widen their narration with the Irishman a small longer and springiness the 58-year-old the nonstop disconnected helium deserves aft 17 fantabulous years of service.

Exeter Chiefs Premiership form:

Exeter Chiefs signifier (all competitions): 

Saracens contention form:

Saracens signifier (all competitions): 

Team News

The Chiefs person made conscionable 1 alteration to their battalion arsenic Greg Fisilau misses retired done wounded and is replaced by Christ Tshiunza arsenic Ethan Roots moves to the back-row.

Baxter volition besides miss the services of electrical winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso owed to wounded connected Saturday day and has turned to Paul Brown-Bampoe arsenic his replacement.

Sarries besides person a singular quality amongst their forwards, arsenic Theo McFarland replaces Nick Isiekwe successful the starting lineup.

There is nary spot for either Owen Farrell oregon Noah Caluori from the commencement too, with Fergus Burke and Rotimi Segun fixed the nod.

Exeter Chiefs starting lineup:

15 Woodburn, 14 Brown-Bampoe, 13 Slade, 12 Ikitau, 11 Ridl, 10 Skinner, 9 Varney; 1 Sio, 2 Norey, 3 Iosefa-Scott, 4 Jenkins, 5 Zambonin, 6 Hooper, 7 Tshiunza, 8 Roots

Replacements:

16 Dweba, 17 Burger, 18 Tchumbadze, 19 Tuima, 20 James, 21 Cairns, 22 Wimbush, 23 Hammersley

Saracens starting lineup:

15 Malins, 14 Elliott, 13 Tompkins, 12 Hartley, 11 Segun, 10 Burke, 9 Bracken; 1 Mawi, 2 George, 3 Street, 4 Itoje, 5 Tizard, 6 McFarland, 7 Earl, 8 Willis

Replacements:

16 Dan, 17 Carre, 18 Riccioni, 19 Isiekwe, 20 Michelow, 21 van Zyl, 22 Farrell, 23 Caluori

We say: Exeter Chiefs 30-26 Saracens

In what is undoubtedly the division's diagnostic lucifer this weekend, we expect the contention astatine Sandy Park to beryllium intimately fought arsenic some sides scrap for that coveted apical 4 finish.

Unfortunately for Sarries, we spot this tussle heading the mode of the Chiefs, arsenic McCall bows retired aft astir 2 decades astatine the nine with a whimper.

>Click present to work the afloat previews of each Premiership Rugby crippled this weekend