“Alex has always been one of those players who plays his best games in the biggest ones,” added McCall. “The number of Premiership finals and European finals where he was one of our best players and he really rose to those occasions. He is desperate to try to get back into the international arena and show he is one of those players who can rise to it.
“What an example he is to some of our younger players, to have the gap he has had from 25 to 31 [since his last England involvement] but also he had an ACL injury to deal with last year and effectively missed the whole of last season. He had the bit between his teeth from the first day of pre-season.”
Otherwise Saracens looked to their set-piece to turn the screw with first George and then Earl powering over from line-out mauls, with Exeter surprisingly failing to compete in the air when it mattered.
But Rob Baxter’s side did keep battling elsewhere. It took desperate defence from Saracens to prevent Exeter from responding. Elliott could not hold a box-kick only for Burke to make a try-saving tackle on Will Haydon-Wood.
It took a moment of good fortune to give Exeter a foothold when Haydon-Wood’s kick was charged down by Lozowski only to fall into the hands of Olly Woodburn and his break created the space for Hodge to finish at full tilt under the posts.
Yet when Earl crossed for Saracens’ fifth try, and his second, after a yellow card for Ben Hammersley at the start of the second half, there would be no way back for Exeter.
Hodge did manage to cross for a second try, arguably the best of the afternoon, attacking left from a scrum and then a brilliant off-load by Woodburn to allow Hammersley to put Hodge over in the corner. But for now the Saracens’ reset continues to lead the way.
Match details
Scoring sequence 5-0 George try; 10-0 Elliott try, 12-0 Lozowski con; 17-0 Earl try, 19-0 Lozowski con; 19-7 Hodge try and con; 24-7 Burke try; 29-7 Earl try, 29-14 Hodge try and con.
Saracens E Daly; T Elliott (A Goode 66), A Lozowski, N Tompkins, R Segun; F Burke, I van Zyl (C Bracken 71); R Carre (E Mawi 51), J George (T Dan 51) M Riccioni (Ollie Hoskins 67), N Isiekwe, H Tizard, T McFarland (A Onyeama-Christie 11), B Earl (T Knight 66), T Willis (J M Gonzalez Samso 70).
Exeter Chiefs J Hodge; I Feyi-Waboso, O Woodburn, J Hawkins (Will Rigg 67), B Hammersley; W Haydon-Wood (H Skinner 54), S Maunder (T Cairns 54); W Goodrick-Clarke (K Blose 48), J Yeandle (J Innard 48), M Street (J Iosefa-Scott 48), J Dunne, C Tshiunza (R Tuima 54), E Roots (M Moloney 56), R Capstick, G Fisilau.
Sin-bin Hammersley (41).
Referee K Dickson.
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