Harlequins ended Saracens’ 100 per cent record in this season’s Gallagher Premiership by defeating their London rivals 17-10 in a bruising encounter at the Twickenham Stoop.
Sarries, who had won their first three games of the campaign and had put Quins to the sword in eight straight league fixtures between the two, found their hosts far more resilient this time around.
A try from young centre Lennox Anyanwu proved crucial for the hosts, who tackled themselves almost to a standstill as their visitors piled on the pressure for long periods of the contest.
Saracens suffered an early injury blow when openside flanker Andy Onyeama-Christie had to be stretchered off with only seven minutes played, not long after a strong carry deep into the Harlequins 22.
Harlequins then lost James Chisholm to the sin bin in the 11th minute when he tackled Nick Tompkins without the ball near his try line after the Wales centre had chased down Elliot Daly’s kick ahead.
The hosts held firm with 14 men, however, spending most of the 10 minutes while a man light in possession, but unable to make any real dents in Sarries’ defence.
But they took the lead after Chisholm returned to the field in the 28th minute, when the No.8 was tackled within a metre of the line, with loosehead Fix Baxter following up to barge his way over.
Marcus Smith added the easy conversion and it almost got better for Quins off the final play of the first half when Irne Herbst was held up in-goal after Jack Kenningham and Will Porter had brought their team within striking range.
Eight minutes into the second half, Saracens finally broke through the hosts’ resolute defence and it took a former Harlequin to do so as Hugh Tizard crashed over following a strong carry from Tom Willis.
Alex Lozowski’s conversion levelled the game but parity lasted just four minutes as Harlequins restored their lead in typically swashbuckling fashion.
Smith glided through a gap inside his own half and got an off-load away to put Porter into space and the scrum-half timed his pass to put Anyanwu, who was having an impressive afternoon, in the clear down the right.
Quins were continuing to have a stormer out of possession and the gap remained at seven points when Lozowski sent a penalty wide after Joe Launchbury went off his feet at a ruck.
Smith, however, moved the hosts closer to a memorable win when he sent a kick of his own through the posts with nine minutes left.
Lozowkski quickly moved Saracens back within one score after Joe Marler could not stay on his feet at another ruck, but Harlequins doggedly held on in the time that remained.
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