Premiership: Saracens 35-3 Exeter Chiefs - Leaders earn bonus-point win

Saracens winger Sean Maitland got on the end of Owen Farrell's well-placed kick to register his side's second try

Saracens took their lead at the top of the Premiership back to 10 points with a dominant win over rivals Exeter.

Andy Christie's close-range try opened the scoring for the hosts after 10 minutes before Exeter's Joe Simmonds reduced the deficit with a penalty.

But Sarries hit back well through Sean Maitland, and Marco Riccioni's score on the stroke of half-time made it 19-3.

Alex Lewington added the bonus point after 71 minutes and Nick Tompkins went over from a driving line-out late on.

The win sees Saracens head into 2023 top of the league with only one defeat in their opening eleven Premiership matches, while the Chiefs remain in sixth and have now lost four of their last six league games.

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Sarries responded well to their first defeat of the league season against London Irish on 23 December and went into the game with their lead at the top cut to five points when impressive Sale thrashed Leicester Tigers. on Friday.

Mark McCall's men enjoyed plenty of early pressure and took the lead through an inventive set play which saw Mako Vunipola take a tap-penalty five metres out before passing to Christie who broke through Chiefs tacklers to cross the whitewash.

After the hosts lost Elliot Daly to a head injury, with the England man replaced by Alex Lozowski, the Chiefs hit back to reduce the deficit to 7-3 after 21 minutes through Simmonds' penalty.

However their joy did not last long as Sarries went straight back onto the front foot and Maitland just about got downward pressure on Farrell's grubber kick to register his 32nd Premiership try.

Substitute winger Alex Lewington beat the tackle of Joe Simmonds to score Saracens' bonus point try

The hosts scored their third of the afternoon as the clock ticked into the red at the end of the first half, with an expertly-worked five-metre line-out which saw Maro Itoje claim the catch and swiftly move the ball on to Riccioni to power over, with Farrell adding the extras to make it 19-3 at the break.

England captain Farrell added two penalties in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to stretch the lead to 22 points before Ben Earl was introduced for his 100th club appearance.

Saracens remained firmly in control throughout the second half and finally grabbed their bonus point try in the 71st minute when Farrell spun an excellent pass behind his back out wide to substitute winger Lewington to slide over the line.

Wales international Tompkins then crossed in the final minute from an attacking line-out on a day to forget for a well-beaten Exeter who were second best throughout.

Saracens head coach Joe Shaw:

"Trying to lead a team in those conditions is tough. It is where you see the ultimate game managers and leaders and Owen [Farrell] is still at the very forefront of that.

"When you look at the whole of this season and you see some of the performances we have put in and the tries we have scored, the person who has been at the centre of that is Owen, showing off his skillset.

"His kicks into space put Exeter under pressure and he backed it up with how physical he was in defence. I thought he was superb.

"If you know anything about rugby you realise what an unbelievable and special talent we have had for this generation."

Exeter head coach Ali Hepher:

"We've been here against Saracens in the past, lost heavily but also learned the lessons and come back stronger.

"You have to give Saracens credit for their performance - the speed that they played at, the speed that they countered at. Even when they make errors they don't get seen because they're doing things so fast.

"We are where we are - a mid-table side. We have a run of home games now that are very important. We'll target those games and try to put our stamp on the season.

"We have to reboot and regenerate. We're below where we were but we're on the move back to that spot. It won't happen overnight but it's exciting."

Saracens: Goode, Malins, Daly, Tompkins, Maitland, Farrell, van Zyl, M Vunipola, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Isiekwe, Christie, Wray, B Vunipola

Replacements: Pifeleti, Mawi, Bello, Tizard, Earl, Davies, Lozowski, Lewington

Exeter Chiefs: Hodge, Nowell, Slade, Kata, Woodburn, Simmonds, Maunder, Sio, Yeandle, Williams, van Heerden, Gray, Grondona, Tshiunza, Fisilau

Replacements: Frost, Iosefa-Scott, Schickerling, Dunne, Pearson, Cairns, Hendrickson, O'Loughlin

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys.