Saracens boss Mark McCall hailed the returning Joel Tomkins after the Men in Black beat Exeter Chiefs 23-10 in the Premiership.

Tomkins has been out with a knee problem since November but came back on Sunday to help Sarries stay second in the table, one point behind Northampton Saints.

“It’s great to see Joel back,” McCall said after the game.

“In the first 20 minutes we were lethargic. We were a second off in everything we did but then Joel made a couple of important breaks and got us on the front foot.”

Tries from James Johnston and Schalk Brits, as well as two conversions and three penalties from Charlie Hodgson ensured Sarries took the four points.

The Men in Black take on Bath on Friday looking for a repeat of their 31-17 win at Allianz Park in September.

McCall said: “Bath are on a roll at the moment and have been playing some good rugby.

“Their set-piece is very strong and it’s going to be a big battle.

“It was a mountain for us to come back from 7-0 down when they had a strong wind in the second half but we dominated the set-piece today.”