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As it happenedended

Premiership rugby final LIVE: Exeter vs Saracens result and reaction as Sarries beat Chiefs in thriller

Follow the latest from Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens at Twickenham Stadium

Jack de Menezes
Twickenham
Saturday 01 June 2019 17:23 BST
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Saracens vs Leinster: Mark McCall hails Billy Vunipola for doing his talking on the pitch

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Saracens completed a memorable European and domestic double after retaining the Premiership title by beating Exeter 37-34 at Twickenham.

The teams shared 10 tries during unquestionably the greatest Premiership final in its 16-year history. Exeter led after just 28 seconds when scrum-half Nic White claimed the quickest Premiership final touchdown, but Saracens ultimately prevailed with Jamie George's second score ultimately proving the difference.

Here's how it played out.

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41 mins: One change for Saracens as the captain Brad Barritt has only lasted 40 minutes until his hamstring has given out, so Nick Tompkins is on in the centre.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:04

41 mins: The game is halted when play heads towards an injured Saracens player, and it's Spencer who's down after being caught heavily in the head by the hip of the flying Liam Williams, leaving the scrum-half in a fair bit of bother. That was good play from Barnes as he spotted the trouble and halted play, and as he disappears for an HIA, Richard Wigglesworth comes on at 9.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:06

42 mins: Saracens waste their opprtunity from the scrum as Williams knocks on, and to make matters worse he plays the ball while on the deck to concede the full penalty. Simmonds finds touch in the Saracens half.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:07

45 mins: Exeter can't take the chance as Saracens steal the lineout and clear their lines, and from the resulting play Devoto is pinged for kicking the ball as Spencer went to gather it. Exeter turn it over though and Slade boots it down-field, forcing Goode to chase all the way back to his half to retireve it.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:10

47 mins: A complete front-row switch for Exeter as Moon, Yeandle and Williams depart with Alec Hepburn, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tomas Francis on in their place - not bad when you can bring an international trio off the bench.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:12

48 mins: Tompkins gets his first chance to run in space and bursts down the right, but is one-handed flick to Liam Williams gives the wing no chance and it's deflected in to touch to waste the chance. Skelton takes his leave as Michael Rhodes comes on, meaning Itoje will go to the second row.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:14

50 mins: Another change for Exeter as Jonny Hill is replaced by Skinner, who returns after the first-half cameo for Armand's HIA. White is looking to clever though either, and the scrum-half may need to be replaced shortly as he's struggling with a calf issue.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:16

53 mins: Cuthbert thinks he's scored but straight away the TMO has intervened to tell Barnes that Lozowski has beaten him to the ball to ground it. The chance came as Slade broke the line and attempted to chip Goode, with the full-back half charging it down. Cuthbert was able to hack on, but Lozowski calmly dotted the ball down completely unaware that the Wales wing was haring up on him. A split-second later, that's a try fro Exeter.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:20

55 mins: Another injury problem for Saracens here as Wray is down and in some pain, with medics tneding to his leg. Nick Isiekwe is already stripped off and ready to come on, and that's going to be the end of the flanker's game...or is it? No it's not, after brushing himself down and stretching out his groin, Wray is going to continue.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:24

56 mins: Itoje is penalised for hands and Exeter kick to touch on the Saracens 10m. Exeter have definintely had the better of the second half so far, but we're still waiting for the first points.

Wray isn't going to be able to shake this off by the way, and indeed Nick Isiekwe is on to replace him. That could see Rhodes go to openside and Itoje back into the back-row.

Jack de Menezes1 June 2019 16:26

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