Heroic Quins defence ends Sarries' derby dominance

Marcus Smith (left) and Tobias Elliott of Saracens contest a high ball

Gallagher Premiership

Harlequins (7) 17

Tries: Baxter, Anyanwu Cons: M Smith (2) Pens: M Smith

Saracens (0) 10

Tries: Tizard Cons: Lozowski Pens: Lozowski

Harlequins produced a monumental defensive effort to overcome Saracens at The Stoop and end a run of eight straight Premiership derby defeats.

Fin Baxter’s close-range try gave Quins a 7-0 half-time lead but Sarries' Hugh Tizard dived over against his former club after the interval to level the scores.

Lennox Anyanwu blazed down the flank to restore the hosts' lead and, while Marcus Smith and Alex Lozowski exchanged penalties, Quins held on for a famous win, their first over Sarries since January 2020.

There was further woe for the previously-unbeaten visitors as Scotland lock Andy Onyeama-Christie was stretchered off early on with what looked a serious ankle injury.

Scotland international Andy Onyeama-Christie was stretchered off after seven minutes

Sarries racked up 90 points in the two matches between the two sides last season, including 52 in their most recent meeting in March.

However, from the off, the game was fiercely contested by two star-studded sides with Smith back at fly-half for Quins and full-back Leigh Halfpenny returning for Quins, plus Maro Itoje back from a knee problem to skipper Saracens.

After a cagey start, Onyeama-Christie suffered a serious injury driving for the line after a close-range line-out just seven minutes in, leading to a lengthy stoppage.

The 25-year-old missed the end of last season after suffering a broken arm in April but had begun this campaign in style - however, he now looks certain to miss at least Scotland’s autumn international campaign which starts against Fiji at Murrayfield on 2 November.

The Quins defence stood firm against concerted Sarries pressure, despite losing James Chisholm to the sin-bin in the opening 20 minutes.

Then, Saracens' Ben Earl was penalised for shouting at referee Christophe Ridley during a ruck in midfield, allowing Smith to kick to the corner.

The line-out paved the way for Stephan Lewies to barrel forward and Baxter to eventually plunge over from close range on 27 minutes, with Smith slotting the conversion to make it seven points from Quins' first visit to the Saracens 22.

Juan Martin Gonzalez was also forced off for Sarries but the Quins defence stood up to a fresh onslaught from the visitors as they repelled phase after phase and won a series of key penalties at breakdowns.

The Sarries pressure resumed after the break and Quins' resistance was eventually broken when Tizard dived over from close range after more than a dozen phases of pressure on 48 minutes, with Lozowski adding the extras.

It took just four minutes for Quins to get back in front, however, as Smith darted through midfield and offloaded to Will Porter who flung the ball wide right for Anyanwu to scorch over the line.

Tobias Elliott saw a break down the Sarries right ended by another fine tackle from Halfpenny as he sought a fourth try in as many appearances while Lozowski missed a penalty attempt after Joe Launchbury was penalised for going over the top just after the hour.

Smith made no mistake at the other end after Earl was penalised nine minutes from time, slotting the hosts into a 10-point lead and though Lozowski set up a tense finale with a penalty three minutes later, Quins kept their visitors at bay.

Danny Wilson, Harlequins head coach, told BBC Radio London:

"We didn't talk about Sarries much, we spent the whole week talking about ourselves - if we get our stuff right, with the improvements we are trying to make in defence, then we give ourselves a real chance – it's basically what happened.

"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.

"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. We've held Saracens to 10 points. It had a Test match feel about it."

Mark McCall, Saracens director of rugby, told BBC Radio London:

"We had a lot of territory in the game, a lot of entries into their 22, on the day (we were) just not good enough to convert those into anything.

"Maybe some of our execution wasn't as good as it has been.

"Credit their defence - they defended like their lives depended on it. Our attack wasn't good enough on the day.

"A lot of credit to them, they defended magnificently today, I thought."

Harlequins: Halfpenny; David, Murley, Anyanwu, Beard; M Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele; Herbst, Lewies (capt); Lamb, Kenningham, Chisholm.

Replacements: Jibulu, Marler, Lewis, Launchbury, Cunningham-South, W Evans, Care, J Evans.

Sin-bin: Chisholm (11 mins)

Saracens: Goode; Elliott, Lozowski, Tompkins, Daly; Burke, van Zyl; Carre, George, Riccioni, Itoje (capt), Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Onyeama-Christie, Earl.

Replacements: Dan, Mawi, Clarey, Tizard, Willis, Knight, Simpson, Cinti.

Referee: Christophe Ridley