ComeAllWithin.co.uk - Saracens 21-24 Harlequins

In celebration of his 150^th appearance for the club, Ceri Jones, with his children as mascots, led the team out of the tunnel. Only 53 seconds from the start Quins had scored the first try. Glen Jackson knocked on from the kick off and gave Quins a scrum in front of the posts. Danny Care went right from the base of the scrum and put David Strettle in at the corner. Nick Evans conversion kick from the touchline skewed across the face of the posts.

Much of the remainder of the first quarter was a midfield battle. Saracens had the bulk of the possession and Quins had to defend vigourously, competing for the ball in ruck after ruck. The whistle blew with seemingly excessive frequency as Wayne Barnes obeyed the IRB injunction to referee the breakdown more strictly. With the dreaded ELVs also in mind, it was sometimes difficult to know what each stoppage was for. Excessive kicking, often pointless save as a means to pass over possession, was also the order of the day.

After 20 minutes had elapsed, a penalty in front of the posts allowed Jackson to add Saracens’ first points. But only two minutes later Jackson was caught in possession by the mobile Quins flankers and Saracens were penalised for diving over off their feet. Evans kicked accurately from about 42 metres to extend the lead to 3 – 8.

Quins were playing as they have in their pre-season matches, with determination and passion. A fine break by Ugo Monye with Tiesi in support was stopped just short of the Saracens’ line and then Quins were adjudged offside at the ruck and the attack ended. Saracens too had a good chance of a try, only to see the final pass intercepted a couple of metres from the try-line and the ball cleared.

With only three minutes remaining, Jackson slotted another penalty from the twenty-two to narrow the lead. A knock-on gave Saracens an attacking scrum in Quins’ twenty-two but Mike Brown cleared and a scrappy and slightly error ridden half ended with Quins holding a narrow lead.

Only three minutes into the second half Census Johnson, the massive Saracens’ prop, beat Mike Brown to the catch of a high ball, off-loaded it to Adam Powell who broke through a couple of would-be tackles and sprinted away to score the try which with Jackson’s simple conversion gave Saracens the lead for the first time at 11 – 8.

Quins were working hard to mount an attack. Danny Care found an excellent touch only five metres from the Saracens’ line, but they held the lineout. A break away from a scrum by Care and Tiesi was ended with a penalty to Saracens. Then a long lineout went to Care whose switch pass to Ugo Monye, coming at speed, took the winger past two defenders with consummate ease to score under the posts. Evans added the two points and Quins regained the lead that they never lost again.

Quins now stepped up the pressure and Evans added a penalty and a few minutes later a drop goal to open a lead of 10 points. Quins were having the greater possession and were doing everything to keep the ball. Inside the Saracens’, twenty-two Skinner, Robshaw and Easter together with the other forwards worked tirelessly with long periods of pick and drive around the side of rucks, winding down the clock. But with fifteen minutes remaining and Nick Evans receiving treatment in the Saracens half of the pitch for a bang on the knee, Saracens mounted an attack down their right flank through Chris Jack whose pass put Neil de Kock away to score. Jackson converted and the lead was narrowed to 18 – 21.

Waisea Luveniyali replaced Nick Evans and almost immediately had the task of taking a penalty to increase the lead to 18 – 24 only for Jackson to reduce it again to three points with another penalty. Taioni replaced Tiesi and Luveniyali missed with another, more difficult, penalty kick as the last seven minutes of the half brought frenzied endeavours from Saracens for the winning score. Brooks and Guest replaced Ross and Easter. The nail-biting last minutes began but stern resistance kept Saracens at bay. The clock ticked down. With 39 second remaining Gomarsall replaced Care for the final lineout and the final whistle.

It is almost invidious to single out anyone from this performance. All the new recruits showed their worth. Evans is a high class fly-half and Luveiyali no slouch as his deputy. Tiesi is elusive and adds speed to the centre and with Turner-Hall was an effective centre pairing. Ugo Monye gets better and better. His strength in the tackle and his speed in attack are real weapons in the Quins’ armoury. Care again showed why he is the holder of the England No. 9 shirt.

At the press conference after the game, Dean Richards was clear in his praise of all the new recruits. He was also obviously pleased at a good start to the season and praised his side's increasing maturity.

"We hardly won a lineout in the first half but we defended very strongly. There are a lot of people who are playing for each other out there," said Richards. "We will look at our lineouts and see what went wrong but otherwise I thought it was a good day. Two years ago we wouldn't have won that game because of the decision-making in certain areas. We made some quite mature decisions today at the right times and that is the sign of a side that is getting better."

Saracens: D Scarbrough; F Leonelli (R Penney, 56), K Sorrell, A Powell, K Ratuvou; G Jackson, N de Kock (M Rauluni, 69); N Lloyd (M Aguero, 65), M Cairns (F Ongaro, 65), C Johnston (C Visagie, 65), S Borthwick (capt), H Vyvyan, C Jack, M Owen, D Seymour (B Skirving, 45).

Harlequins: M Brown; D Strettle, G Tiesi, J Turner-Hall (E Taione, 69), U Monye; N Evans (WLuveniyali, 65), D Care (A Gomarsall, 79); C Jones, T Fuga, M Ross (J Brooks, 74), O Kohn, G Robson, C Robshaw, N Easter, W Skinner (capt).

Referee: W Barnes (London).

Attendance: 52,087

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