Exeter beat Saracens 32-12 to secure play-off spot and end McCall’s reign
Exeter Chiefs secured a Premiership play-off semi-final against Bath after beating Saracens 32-12 to bring down the curtain on Mark McCall’s long reign.
The decisive victory elevates the Devon outfit to third place in the final league standings.
Rob Baxter’s side leapfrog Leicester Tigers, who drop to fourth, setting up a crucial knockout clash at the Recreation Ground next weekend.
Capitalising on indiscipline
A tense opening half initially favoured the visitors, with Tobias Elliott scoring an early try to silence the home crowd.
Henry Slade responded with a penalty to keep the deficit narrow before Rotimi Segun had a potential try disallowed for the Londoners.
The match’s turning point arrived deep into first-half stoppage time when visiting scrum-half Charlie Bracken was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.
The hosts immediately punished the indiscretion as Max Norey crashed over from a cleverly worked lineout to snatch a slender half-time lead.
Chiefs dominate the second half
Still exploiting their numerical advantage after the interval, the 31-year-old Slade finished off a sweeping break to score his team’s second try.
The England international quickly added another penalty to firmly establish control of the scoreboard.
Italian lock Andrea Zambonin secured the result with 16 minutes remaining, guaranteeing his team’s first post-season appearance since 2021.
While Nick Isiekwe managed a late consolation score for the visitors, Stephen Varney crossed moments later to earn a stylish bonus-point victory.
The end of an era
The final whistle confirmed the exit of long-serving boss McCall, ending one of the most successful managerial eras in English rugby.
He leaves behind a complex legacy after previously guiding the club through massive and unprecedented off-field turbulence.
The unity we showed during the salary scandal remains my proudest time.
There was to be no fairy-tale departure for the Northern Irishman as his traditional rivals marched confidently towards another title tilt.