Saracens trip to play Exeter Chiefs will be the toughest test yet in their 22 game unbeaten run
Saracens face the biggest obstacle yet in their quest to go the season unbeaten when they visit Sandy Park to face Exeter Chiefs on Saturday.
The Premiership's top two teams will go head-to-head for the first time this season in what is the most significant match of the campaign to date.
Exeter and Saracens have established themselves as the two dominant forces in English rugby over the past few years and between them have won all of the last four Premiership titles, with two of the finals played between them.
The pair are all but set for a return to the play-offs this season with a 12-point gap already established between second placed Exeter and third placed Gloucester, while fourth and fifth are four points further adrift.
Unbeatable
Sarries are two points clear at the top and beginning to build up a head of steam having won all nine Premiership games as well as all four European Champions Cup games this season.
The north London side are in fact unbeaten in 22 matches and the last time they tasted defeat was in the Champions Cup quarter-final last season to Leinster, who are arguably the only side in Europe better than them at the moment.
They go into this weekend's clash on the back of two resounding wins over Cardiff Blues but Saracens' fly-half Owen Farrell believes there is room for improvement from his side ahead of the crunch clash.
“We want to put out a complete performance this weekend,” Farrell said. “We’ve won a few games now having not put out an 80-minute performance; we’ve seen it in glimpses but it’s exciting to see where we can take it.”
Bouncing back
In the opposing camp, Exeter come into the match following a disappointing period. They too had started the season in fine form winning all their Premiership contests up until round nine when they were unstuck in a surprise, narrow defeat to Harlequins.
The Chiefs followed that up with another loss the following weekend at home to Gloucester in their Champions Cup pool, but put things right last time out with a 29-17 win in the reverse fixture at Kingsholm to keep their European hopes alive.
It was a timely reminder of their qualities as they beat the Premiership's third placed side and head coach Rob Baxter will be glad to have reintegrated those who were absent during the autumn internationals, including England's Henry Slade, Ben Moon and Alec Hepburn, although Jack Nowell is out until the new year with a hamstring injury.
Saracens have injury problems of their own as Maro Itoje damaged his knee on international duty and Billy Vunipola is still absent, but there are positives as they have welcomed back some important players in recent weeks, including Mako Vunipola from injury and two of Eddie Jones' key men in Owen Farrell and Jamie George.
More to come
The squad depth of Saracens has proved immense once again this campaign and they can go seven points clear with a bonus point win.
Baxter's side are just two points behind though, despite having lost a match, and can take top spot going into Christmas themselves with victory and simultaneously end Saracens' unbeaten run.
It will be a task that is easier said than done and Sarries chief Mark McCall has warned that his side are still yet to hit top gear.
“We’ve got a group that is very picky with incredibly high standards. They are very ambitious,” McCall said after the second win against Cardiff. “Today was about the result and getting it done, but overall there is a discontent with some of what we are serving up. There is more in us.”
It is bad news for the rest of the Premiership who have been unable to keep pace with the McCall's side as it is.
If Saracens can come through what will be a gruelling test at a cold and windy Sandy Park, then they will have overcome the toughest hurdle facing them as they bid to go the entire campaign unbeaten.