Saracens moved within touching distance of securing a home Premiership semi final after a comfortable 33-12 win at Exeter Chiefs this afternoon.

Mark McCall’s side got off to an ideal start with Chris Wyles’ try helping them establish a 13-0 lead. The Chiefs, backed by a vocal home crowd, scored through Jason Shoemark but Sarries sealed their ninth consecutive win in all competitions when Noah Cato came off the bench to score. The victory also confirmed their place in the play-offs.

The Men in Black made two changes from the side which defeated Bath in their last game. Steve Borthwick missed out with a shoulder knock and his place went to Mouritz Botha. Jacques Burger returned to the starting lineup with Andy Saull on the bench. Ernst Joubert captained Saracens in their first trip to Sandy Park.

Saracens were handed a chance to take the lead after ten minutes when referee Dean Richards awarded a penalty and Alex Goode easily kicked over the three points.

The visitors nearly scored the first try after 15 minutes but winger James Short was tackled into touch. The referee pulled play back for a penalty to Sarries and Goode drilled them into a six-point lead.

Sarries extended their lead midway through the half with an opportunistic try. An Exeter clearance was charged down by Brad Barritt and the centre offloaded for Wyles to cross the line. Goode’s conversion made it 13-0 to the Men in Black.

The Chiefs pulled themselves right back into the game in the last five minutes of the first half. Exeter piled on the pressure and the ball fell to Shoemark who evaded the visitors’ challenges to cross the line. Gareth Steenson’s conversion missed the target for the hosts.

The home side were awarded a penalty ten minutes after the restart. Exeter ambitiously opted to kick for a linout rather than take an easy three points in front of the posts. The move did not pay off as Sarries defended the attack.

Saracens had come under plenty of pressure at the start of the second half but, on a rare foray into the Exeter half, a penalty from Goode fired them into an 11- point lead.

The hosts conceded another penalty just inside their half but Richard Wigglesworth’s effort did not quite have the distance. Exeter fell further behind with less than 15 minutes left when fly-half Owen Farrell coolly added a drop goal.

Sarries put the game beyond the Chiefs in the 68th minute with a superb solo effort from Northampton bound Cato. The winger picked up the ball from Adam Powell’s pass and beat three players to ground the ball in the corner. Goode’s conversion made it 26-5 to the visitors.

There was still time for the visitors to score a third try when Rhys Gill managed to get over the line. Goode’s conversion rounded off an excellent first visit to Sandy Park for the title chasers.

Sireli Naqelevuki scored a converted try with the last action of the game but Sarries still left with a convincing win to keep them second in the table.

Exeter Chiefs: Arscott, Jess, Shoemark, Naqelevuki, Sestaret, Steenson, Poluleuligaga (Cowley, 55); Sturgess (Moon, 60), Clark, Tui, Hayes, Hanks (Slade, 60), Johnson, Scaysbrook, Baxter

Saracens: Goode, Strettle, Wyles, Barritt (Powell, 64), Short (Cato, 46), Farrell, Wigglesworth; Stevens (Gill, 52), Brits (George, 67), Nieto, Botha (Vyvyan, 46), Smith, Brown, Burger (Saull, 52), Joubert

Scoring: 0-3, 0-6, 0-11, 0-13, 5-13 HT 5-16, 5-19, 5-24, 5-26, 5-31, 5-33, 10-33, 12-33

Referee: Dean Richards

Attendance: 9,561