Exeter Chiefs beat bitter rivals Saracens 32-12 at Sandy Park to secure a Gallagher Premiership semi-final place and bring the curtain down on the remarkable reign of long-serving director of rugby Mark McCall.
With a play-off spot on the line, the match had all the intensity of a knockout fixture. Exeter, one of the clubs most aggrieved by the salary-cap scandal that led to Saracens’ relegation in 2020, rose to the occasion in front of a packed home crowd.
The Chiefs delivered one of their most complete performances of the season to book their place in the final four and end Saracens’ campaign.
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End of an era
Saracens’ failure to reach the semi-finals means McCall’s 17-year stint at the club is over.
Since arriving in 2009, McCall transformed Saracens into one of Europe’s dominant forces, winning six Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups. He oversaw a golden generation of players and established the club as a powerhouse in both domestic and continental rugby.
His tenure also included the salary-cap controversy that resulted in Saracens’ relegation, but McCall remained in charge, guiding the club back to the Premiership and to another league title in 2023.
A lasting legacy
McCall lost just one knockout match to Exeter – the 2017 Premiership semi-final – having beaten the Chiefs in three major Twickenham finals between 2016 and 2020.
Despite this disappointing finale, he departs as one of the most successful coaches in Premiership history.
POLL:
Quiz! Can you name every team to have ever played in the Gallagher Prem?
Can you name all 28 clubs that have featured in the Gallagher Premiership since it kicked off back in 1987?
London Welsh were the last newcomers to join the top flight in 2011… but can you remember the rest?
You’ve got five minutes to test your rugby knowledge and reel off every side to have graced England’s top tier.
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