1,723 days later: How Harlequins ended derby dismay v Saracens

Harlequins beat Saracens for the first time in nine Premiership games

It has been a long 1,723 days for Harlequins fans. But the wait for a Premiership victory over bitter London rivals Saracens is finally over.

Their last derby day win came back on 26 January 2020, just nine days after Sarries accepted a points deduction for salary cap breaches and were automatically relegated.

A lot has happened since then.

The Covid pandemic swept the nation, Saracens won promotion from the Championship, finished runners-up in the Premiership and then lifted the title in their second season back.

A run of eight straight losses for Quins was also compounded by the heavy margin of their two most recent defeats.

Seven months ago, Saracens ran out 52-7 winners, completing a thumping league double after a 38-10 victory at The Stoop in November 2023.

With an aggregate score of 92-17 over those matches, Harlequins could have been forgiven a few doubts with the enemy back in Twickenham on Sunday but instead put up a resolute fight well worthy of ending a miserable winless run.

Converted tries by Fin Baxter and Lennox Anyanwu and a penalty from Marcus Smith in their hard-earned 17-10 success will have gone some way to eroding the painful memories of the last four years and nine months.

The last win in 2020

Chris Robshaw was the Harlequins captain when they had last beat Saracens in January 2020

Ex-England captain Chris Robshaw was still donning the famous quartered shirt the last time Quins tasted victory over Sarries in January 2020.

Reeling from a points deduction which would ultimately take them from potential title-challengers to instant demotion, Saracens were dismantled by Harlequins.

Danny Care led the charge with an early try before Cadan Murley scored twice on the way to a 41-14 win.

With Saracens down, Harlequins firmly held the bragging rights but it would be the last laugh they would have for quite some time.

So near yet so far for Quins

Saracens came back with a vengeance following relegation and beat reigning champions Harlequins three times in the 2021-22 season.

Sarries followed up their 29-22 and 19-10 victories in the regular season with a 34-17 win over Quins in the play-off semi-final on their way to finishing as Premiership runners-up.

Harlequins did come within touching distance of overcoming their foes from north London the following season.

But Saracens battled from 17-0 and 24-12 down to win a dramatic encounter 30-27 at The Stoop in September 2022. They also won their home game 36-24 in March 2023 thanks to England star Owen Farrell's fine kicking.

Double whammy last season

Harlequins conceded 92 points in their previous two games against Saracens

While they may have run their rivals close before, last season's contests were ones to forget for Harlequins, who were thumped by 45 points in front of 61,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March this year.

The reverse fixture earlier in the season wasn't quite as convincing in terms of the scoreline but was equally comfortable for Saracens who ran in six tries at The Stoop to cruise to victory.

It was perhaps the humiliating nature of those losses that helped piece together a winning formula at the ninth time of asking.

Defensive gains pay dividends

Harlequins simply could not afford to leak tries so heavily again and head coach Danny Wilson said their defensive improvements paved the way for success on Sunday.

"We didn’t talk about Sarries much, we spent a whole week talking about how if we get our game model right with the improvements we are trying to make in defence, then we give ourselves a real chance," Wilson told BBC Radio London.

"I'm really pleased, it's a massive win. To win a derby game at home, which we haven't for a while against Saracens, and a fully-loaded Saracens at that, is really pleasing."

Wilson said Quins have placed more importance on how they are going to contain teams during preparation for games so far this season.

“There are two things. One, we’ve brought in a new defence coach which has given us a real clarity of system from Jason [Gilmore], which is excellent," he added.

“Second thing is as a group, we’ve put defence first more often. So, we’ve started meetings with defence clips. We’ve started sessions with defence.

"Quins do not want to lose our attacking identity but if we don't improve our defence, we have to go and score five tries every week to give us a chance of winning.”

Quins head coach Danny Wilson said his side have "put defence first more often" this season

BBC Radio London commentator Phil Parry also praised Harlequins for their impressive rearguard action.

"The way that Quins defended their 22, their try-line and frustrated Saracens was pretty spectacular," Parry said.

"I know that Mark McCall was a bit frustrated but they had so many entries into that red zone and didn't come away with anything on so many occasions.

"You have to give credit to the way that Harlequins’ defensive approach was so spectacularly successful."

Parry also highlighted how it was a "different sort of Harlequins" who still showed their attacking threat but with a sharper focus on shutting the door at the other end.

"They picked a big pack for that particular effect and they approached the game in a way which, as Danny Wilson said afterwards, you don't want to come away too far from the Harlequins DNA but they have to improve defensively.

"They conceded 90 points over the two games last season and conceded 10 yesterday, so it shows it was a different approach."