Around the hour mark, one or two doubts started to emerge about the notion that Saracens are in fact the greatest club team ever seen in English rugby.
They had been out-muscled, out-thought, trailed 27-16 and seemingly had a handful of nails already slammed into their coffin.
But like all great sides, like Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, they refused to accept that they were beaten.
Saracens beat Exeter in the Premiership final to complete the double this season
EXETER CHIEFS: Nowell; Cuthbert, Slade, Devoto, O'Flaherty; J. Simmonds, White; Moon, Yeandle (capt), Williams, Dennis, Hill, Ewers, Armand, Kvesic.
TRIES: White, Ewers, J Hill, Slade, S Hill
CONS: Simmonds 3
PEN: Simmonds
REPLACEMENTS: Cowan-Dickie, Hepburn, Francis, Skinner, S. Simmonds, Maunder, Steenson, Hill.
SARACENS: Goode; Williams, Lozowski, Barritt (capt), Maitland; Farrell, Spencer; Barrington, George, Koch, Skelton, Kruis, Itoje, Wray, B. Vunipola.
REPLACEMENTS: Woolstencroft, Adams-Hale, Judge, Isiekwe, Rhodes, Wigglesworth, Tompkins, Strettle.
TRIES: George 2, Spencer, L Williams, Maitland
CONS: Farrell 3
PENS: Farrell 2
REFEREE: Wayne Barnes (RFU).
After nine months and 10,720 minutes of rugby – give or take – we had the finalists that we all expected and, eventually, the winners that we all expected.
Like Bath, Wasps and Leicester throughout the eighties, nineties and noughties, Saracens are now without doubt the dominant team of this decade.
Their legacy was cemented by a late comeback, after often-untouchable Exeter full-back Jack Nowell left the pitch with a knee injury and eventually returned on crutches.
Saracens were rocked at times, but never buried.
They completed the double and, if there was an image to sum up their composure on the biggest stage, it was the sight of their replacements having a football penalty shootout before kick off.
Some dubbed this final as the battle of the bore boys. Northampton coach Chris Boyd claimed his side played with 'more optimism' than the Chiefs, while Exeter have adopted a tag that their play is unsexy and predictable.
The comments even prompted a bite from Rob Baxter when his club sent out its official team announcement on Friday afternoon.
Jack Nowell left the field with a worrying knee injury just three months before the World Cup
The 80 minutes could not have unfolded any differently.
Within the opening 21 minutes, there were 27 points, two yellow cards and a 75,329 crowd left needing to catch breath.
Both teams delivered a performance which, frankly, would have blown away anyone else in the league.
It took just 27 seconds for Exeter to draw first blood. With the sun beaming in his eyes, just outside of the shade of the West Stand, George Kruis watch with a squint as the kick-off slipped through his fingers.
Making chase, Alex Cuthbert caught the bouncing ball around his ankles and Exeter found themselves in the red zone. So often they turn territory into points and, on this occasion, Dave Ewers trucked up the ball before Nic White scored the fastest try in the history of Premiership finals.
But Exeter's early score woke the giants.
England lock Maro Itoje was instrumental as Saracens lifted second straight Premiership title
This time, Saracens stole the restart and launched their first attack. Speed of ball, dominant collisions and offloads are so often at the heart of their attack and they threw bodies forwards. Alex Goode broke
