Was it six or eight minutes before Craig Maxwell-Keys, the referee, blew his whistle on Friday night? Whichever, it was a long time, a lot of phases. Unsurprisingly the commentators were amazed by the action, talking up the toll that it would take on the forwards, especially the Sale Sharks pack.

The opposition were Exeter Chiefs, champions of England, contenders in Europe, the game’s good guys. They were the team with the preponderance of possession. As usual. When Exeter met Glasgow Warriors in the first round of the Champions Cup, Rob Baxter’s boys had an incredible six extra minutes in possession.

Exeter have mastered the laws of the game and it showed against Sale on Friday night ALEX LIVESEY/GETTY IMAGES

The most ball-retentive team in Europe, they keep on keeping possession. Rugby league utopia. An endless cycle of the ball without the six-tackle law