Saracens juggernaut steams over Quins

By ADAM HATHAWAY

Saracens …………………….. 52pts

Tries: Lewington 2, Dan 13, 43; Maitland 17, 26; Cinti 61, Gonzalez 67, Goode 71

Conversions: Farrell 3, 15, 44, 61, 68, 72

Harlequins ……………………..7pts

Tries: Dombrandt 52

Conversions: Smith 52

Owen Farrell celebrated his 250th Saracens appearance in style as the champions laid down a marker to the rest of the Premiership with this statement win.

Farrell controlled the game behind a dominant pack as Saracens came out snarling and kept their foot down for 80 minutes in this eight-try mauling of their nearest and not so dearest.

The win puts Saracens up to second, with Quins down to fifth, and the manner of it will send shivers through the rest of the league.

It was also their eighth league win in a row over Harlequins and a reminder to the winners in 2021, when Saracens were in the Championship, of what is required to land the league.

Farrell, who booted 12 points, controlled things but Saracens were a class above in every position with Elliot Daly standing out at full-back, two-try Theo Dan at hooker and flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez who was everywhere. Theo McFarland put in another top drawer performance as he ruled the air and got around the park and there were two tries for wing Sean Maitland.

Daly was bang on the money here. Defensively he mopped up everything in the backfield but it was attacking speed, breadth of passing and eye for a gap that caused chaos.

Standout display: Saracens full-back Elliot Daly takes on Cadan Murley

PICTURES: Getty Images

Farrell got a standing ovation from most of the 61,000 crowd when he led Saracens out on his landmark day. Children Tommy and Freddie were with him and father Andy and mother Colleen were in the stands for Farrell’s landmark day. And the centre of attention did not let them down.

Saracens response to their eight-week lay-off from the Premiership was to produce a blistering start in the best half of rugby they have produced all season. They had a try bonus point wrapped up in 26 minutes and, of course, Farrell was at the centre of it all. The fly-half probed the defence with an early kick before he fed Daly and his pass was collected by wing Alex Lewington who swivelled through Marcus Smith to score on three minutes.

Hooker Dan then scored off a driving line out while Quins had captain Stephan Lewies in the bin and Maitland had a walk-in try from Farrell’s long pass.

Maitland’s second and Saracens’ fourth came when Farrell’s pass to Daly was slightly wayward but no bother for the England man who flung a pass through his legs to Maitland on the left. The Scot had work to do but he wriggled past two defenders and Saracens had their London rivals where they wanted them at 24-0 down at the break.

Dan’s second came in the 44th minute and was nearly a carbon copy of his first as he crashed over the line after McFarland had won the lineout ball.

It took nearly 50 min- utes for Harlequins to get any continuity and phases going. They got one back when Alex Dombrandt scored off a drive when Saracens had just replaced their entire front row.

It was a soft try to concede but Lucio Cinti, who had a strong match at centre, rounded off a smart move from Daly’s pass and another Puma, Gonzlez added the seventh in a move that saw Danny Care yellow-carded.

It was a rout and Alex Goode made it eight with the final score of a humiliating day for Harlequins.

At the double: Theo Dan on the charge for the line