Saracens debutant Josh Hallett insisted it was a dream come true to play a part in his team’s 40-17 demolition of Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs at Allianz Park. 

The talented 20-year-old centre was handed his first appearance for the Men in Black as a 69th minute replacement for Dominic Morris, as the double-defending champions emphatically ended their rivals’ seven-game winning run. 

With many of both sides’ big-hitters missing from their respective starting XVs - with European Champions Cup quarter-finals next up for each team - Sarries settled the quickest and were ahead within five minutes thanks to Rotimi Segun’s try. 

Facundo Cordero and Morris traded scores as the hosts took a 15-5 lead into the break, before Mark McCall’s men pulled away in the second half.

Will Witty and Dave Dennis touched down for 2016/17 champions Exeter, but Elliott Obatoyinbo, Janco Venter and Cameron Boon all went over in the second 40 to seal a convincing win for Saracens, who have long since been consigned to relegation to the Championship for breaching the salary cap. 

While the opportunity to get stuck into some first-team action marked a special occasion for many young members of the Saracens team, the chance to pull on the famous jersey for the first time made the day extra significant for academy product Hallett. 

Having missed the majority of the 2017/18 campaign due to injury, the England youth international has long been striving for some senior minutes, and he admitted one Sarries fan in particular was likely to have been cheering louder than most when he stepped off the bench. 

“My biggest supporter is my nan! She watches every game and hopefully I’ve made her proud,” Hallett told the official Saracens website after the game. 

“It was an unreal experience to make my debut. It’s something I’ve dreamt of since I was about four or five and to play in the Premiership is unbelievable. 

“It’s a huge confidence booster and it was a tough challenge but having trained with members of the Saracens squad I felt quite prepared for what I was going to face on the field. 

“Everyone at the club works so hard - especially in training - and I think that showed here. Our forwards put in a massive shift which helped us score tries, and we all played for each other out there to get the result.”