PAUL REES LOOKS AT WHY EXETER’S DOR HAS PUT PLAYER RETENTION AHEAD OF RECRUITMENT AT SANDY PARK

The most eye-catching result of the Premiership season came on the opening weekend when the defending champions Saracens visited Exeter. The two had developed a fierce rivalry in the second half of the 2010s, twice meeting in the play-off final.
Both matches were won by Sarries at a time when they were breaching the salary cap regulations. When their rule breaking was discovered and they were relegated, there were calls for them to be stripped of their titles. The Chiefs felt particularly aggrie...