EXETER Chiefs powered into the Gallagher Premiership play-offs for the first time since 2021 with a commanding 32-14 victory over fierce rivals Saracens at a raucous Sandy Park.

In a fixture shaped by years of hostility, heartbreak and high-stakes clashes, Rob Baxter’s side delivered a devastating second-half display to finally inflict some pain of their own on the Londoners, whose victories in three Premiership finals over Exeter still linger heavily in Devon.

The win capped a remarkable turnaround for the Chiefs, who finished ninth last season – their lowest placing since promotion to the Premiership in 2010 – but will now head to Bath this Saturday for a mouth-watering all-Westcountry semi-final.

Chiefs’ backs coach Dave Walder praised the composure shown by his side in handling the emotion surrounding one of English rugby’s fiercest modern rivalries.

“Nobody lets you forget around this place the history between these two great clubs, these two very successful clubs,” said Walder. “It was important we got our emotional levels bang on today and we didn’t overhype the game. To a man, the boys were brilliant.

“First half, I don’t think we were as clinical as we could have been, but second half we got more reward for our pressure. Now we have to make sure we get our week right, recover physically and mentally from today, then come in on Monday and attack the week.”

For long periods of the first half, the contest resembled exactly what many expected – tense, physical and uncompromising.

Saracens struck first inside the opening ten minutes when winger Tobias Elliott squeezed over in the corner after the visitors made early territory count.

Henry Slade, who finished with 17 points, responded with a penalty, but clear-cut chances were at a premium as both sides traded heavy blows in a bruising encounter that struggled to truly ignite.

The turning point arrived deep into first-half stoppage time. With Saracens scrum-half Charlie Bracken in the sin-bin, the Chiefs ruthlessly exploited the extra man, executing a well-worked line-out move that sent Max Norey crashing over to hand the hosts a crucial lead at the break.

That score transformed the mood inside Sandy Park and the hosts carried the momentum emphatically into the second period.

Slade extended the advantage when he finished sharply following a flowing move down the left flank, before adding the conversion and another penalty to stretch the Chiefs clear.

Suddenly Saracens were chasing shadows. Roared on by a partisan home crowd sensing a famous victory, the Chiefs continued to dominate physically and territorially. Italian lock Andrea Zambonin added a third converted try as the visitors’ resistance began to crumble.

Saracens briefly responded through Nick Isiekwe’s corner finish, but any hopes of a late revival were extinguished in spectacular fashion by scrum-half Stephen Varney.

Spotting space behind the defensive line, Varney hacked the ball forward from inside his own half and won the race to the line to complete a memorable victory and spark wild celebrations among the home support.

Not since the Chiefs defeated Saracens in 2017 has Sandy Park generated quite the same noise at full-time.

Walder also confirmed England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso underwent surgery earlier this week on a broken jaw, while fellow back-rower Greg Fisilau is being assessed for an eye-socket injury suffered during last week’s victory at Leicester Tigers.