The ‘local derby weekend’ saw Saracens heading to The Stoop in West London to play Harlequins. Quins has the bragging rights after 2 victories last season. Saracens had 2 wins to start the season, Quins were yet to win their 1st game in the new Prem season. Both teams had their teams boosted by returning internationals, and both went with a 5 Forwards/2 Backs split on the bench!
| Harlequins | Saracens | |
| 1 | Fin Baxter | Rhys Carre |
| 2 | Jack Walker | Theo Dan |
| 3 | Harry Williams | Marco Riccioni |
| 4 | Guido Pettti Pagadizabal | Nick Isiekwe |
| 5 | Kieran Treadwell | Hugh Tizzard |
| 6 | Jack Kenningham | Andy Onyeama-Christie |
| 7 | Will Evans | Ben Earl |
| 8 | Chandler Cunningham-South | Tom Willis |
| 9 | Will Porter | Ivan van Zyl |
| 10 | Marcus Smith | Fergus Burke |
| 11 | Cadan Murley (c) | Lucio Cinti |
| 12 | Jamie Benson | Owen Farrell |
| 13 | Oscar Beard | Nick Tompkins |
| 14 | Rodrigo Isgro | Jack Bracken |
| 15 | Tyrone Green | Max Malins |
| 16 | George Turner | Jamie George |
| 17 | Boris Wenger | Eroni Mawi |
| 18 | Pedro Delgado | Alec Clarey |
| 19 | Jonny Green | Harry Wilson |
| 20 | Zach Carr | Olamide Sodeke |
| 21 | Alex Dombrandt | Juan Martin Gonzalez |
| 22 | Stu Townsend | Charlie Bracken |
| 23 | Sean Kerr | Brandon Jackson |
Adam Leall was the man in the middle, on what was a glorious afternoon in Twickenham. Marcus Smith got the game started, Saracens struggled to get the ball up the pitch as the Quins defenders stormed towards them. Captain van Zyl got the ball off the pitch eventually.
Saracens won the ball from the Quins line out, but a poor pass from Owen Farrell to Max Malins saw the ball knocked on. Saracens were awareded a free kick in the scrum, they lost the ball a couple of plays later.
Will Evans turned the ball over on the floor winning Quins a penalty, the first 5 minutes were frantic! Nick Tompkins was pulled off for an HIA as indicated by his mouthguard. Brandon Jackson, 1 of the 2 players on the bench coming on, sending Lucio Cinti into the Centres. Theo Dan won the ball at the Quins Line out as the ball was thrown too far. Quins won the ball back before van Zyl cleared the Saracens lines.
The Line Out throw was short this time and Quins had a great attacking platform, Marcus Smith danced through a couple of defenders to score the 1st try of the game. Smith converted his own try.
Farrell dropped a ball on his own 22, after a great kick from Smith, giving Quins a scrum put in deep in the Saracens half. Quins were awarded a free kick this time round. Smith kicked the ball high, but it went off the end of the pitch.
It was confirmed that Tompkins failed his HIA, making the exhange a permanent one. A situation where the 5/2 split wasn’t a great plan.
Ben Earl gave away a penalty just inside the Saracens half, a great kick by Smith saw them in a great position to roll over the try line. Saracens held the ball up and were awarded the put in at the resulting scrum; Saracens were then awarded a penalty in the scrum.
van Zyl put a poor kick in the air as Saracens attempted to clear the ball after the Line Out, Isgro knocked the ball on. Saracens moved quickly from the base of the scrum, a perfect pass from Farrell to Cinti , who took a lovely line, that saw him storming into the Quins half, he made a great pass to Fergus Burke who ran in to score, that was pretty much Saracens first attack in the Quins half. Farrell added the extras.
Smith was most definitely back for Quins and he seemed to have scored Quins 2nd try, but the ball had been knocked out of the tunnel, by Theo Dan’s boot, it does seem harsh that a try was chalked off for that reason!
The scrum was reset with another Saracens put in, but Quins won the penalty as the scrum collapsed. Fin Baxter doing all the work for Quins. Smith took the points this time and Quins were ahead again.
The ball was knocked on by Saracens then Quins from the kick off, Quins were awarded a Free Kick from the resulting scrum. Jack Bracken tried to run the ball out unsuccessfully giving Quins another good attacking option. Smith put in a kick over the defence but it went over the line.
The teams went in with the scores on Harlequins 10 Saracens 7, Quins being the dominant team in that first half. Saracens had a lot to talk about during the break! While I remember the Quins pitch was looking amazing!
Oscar Beard ran through several defenders as he ran from his own half from the kick off, a great kick from Smith was missed by Burke, but Tyrone Green was there to kick the ball ahead and score next to the posts with just 1 minute on the 2nd half clock! The conversion took Quins to 17, a 10 point lead!
Quins were awarded a penalty close to the Saracens line and Smith kicked to touch, The ball was lost forwards as Quins attacked. Saracens were awarded a penalty in the scrum. Evans was then penalised as he looked to havee turned over the ball. Leading to some unusual possession for Saracens in the Quins half.
The ball was knocked on by Quins as Saracens attacked, the scrum was something of a mess and the ref had a chat with both props on his side, Riccioni and Baxter, the scrum was reset and Quins won the penalty, with things going wrong for Saracens on the other side.
Saracens won the ball from the Quins line out, but Quins then won a penalty as Jamie George, just on, went too high.
Quins knocked on in the Saracens half, Saracens werre awarded a penalty in the scrum, Quins won the Saracens Line Out.
Saracens attacked after a ball knocked on by Quins went, usefully to Tom Willis, they were then awarded a penalty as they, at last got into the Quins half. Burke kicked for the corner. Quins gave away another penalty and the ball went to touch again. Bizarrely, Burke kicked it backwards! Saracens knocked on as the went forwards, Smith kicked up field rather than out.
A pinpoint cross field kick from Farrell to Ben Earl saw Saracens 2nd try on the board, that came after a good break from Max Malins. Farrell added the extras.
Malins then knocked the ball on from the kick off, the 10th handling error from Saracens, giving the ball back to Quins. van Zyl then played his opposition 9 giving a silly penalty to Quins. Smith kicked to the corner. Juan Martin Gonzalez then gave away another penalty.
Quins scored through the Forwards, with Boris Wenger touching down on his debut. The officials went to the screen to check for a double movement, the try was wiped off as Harry Wilson had tackled Wenger. That kept Quins with a 3 point lead.
Quins won another scrum penalty on a Saracens put in giving them an attacking platform close to the Saracens line. A 2nd penalty saw a 2nd Line Out, Quins knocked on. The ball wasn’t emerging, the ref blew for the scrum.
Willis emerged from the back of the scrum at some speed, his 17th carry. The game was stopped for potential foul play by Quins. It looked like a rugby collision to me, an accidental coming together by Farrell and Jamie Benson, the referee agreed.
The game restarted with a scrum, Quins had been attacking so they had the put in. Gonzalez intercepted the ball after it came out of the scrum. Saracens knocked on as they attempted to get into the Quins half. Quins were awarded a Free Kick and yet again Saracens failed to deal with the high ball. van Zyl took the ball from an offside position. Smith tool every second of his time to add the 3 points.
Harlequins were very much the deserved winners of this local derby, Saracens really weren’t at the races. The final score was Harlequins 20 Saracens 14. Marcus Smith was handed the Player of the Match accolade.
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