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Saracens’ No10 Charlie Hodgson runs riot against hopeless Harlequins Saracens’ No10 Charlie Hodgson runs riot against hopeless Harlequins
(35 minutes later)
It is early days in the season but the extra physicality of the league’s big three sides – Saracens, Northampton and Leicester – is already making its presence felt. Harlequins were not so much beaten as crushed by a visiting team lacking a number of supposed first-choice players, an ominous portent for all those hoping to break the stranglehold of the established trio at the top of the Premiership. It is early days in the season but the extra physicality of the league’s big three sides – Saracens, Northampton and Leicester – is already making its presence felt. Harlequins were not so much beaten as crushed by a visiting team lacking a number of supposed first-choice players, an ominous portent for all those hoping to break the stranglehold of the established trio at the top of the Aviva Premiership table.
If the margin was unexpected the outcome was not a massive surprise, Sarries’ domination of this fixture now extending to 11 wins in the past dozen meetings between the teams. Organised, fiercely committed in defence and relentlessly hard-nosed, Saracens have started their campaign with significant wins over two of their London rivals and again possess a squad with enviable strength in depth. If the margin was unexpected the outcome was not a massive surprise, Sarries’ domination of this fixture now extending to 11 wins in the past dozen meetings between the teams. Organised, fiercely committed in defence and relentlessly hard-nosed, the north London side have started their campaign with significant wins over two of their metropolitan rivals and again possess a squad with enviable strength in depth.
The tireless performance of Will Fraser opposite two international back-rowers in Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter was particularly impressive and Charlie Hodgson remains a fly-half of considerable influence. The former England No10 contributed 22 points, including a first-half try, and Quins could muster disappointingly few answers. The tireless performance of Will Fraser opposite two international back-rowers in Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter was particularly impressive and Charlie Hodgson remains a fly-half of considerable influence. The former England No10 contributed 22 of his side’s points, including a first-half try, and a muted Quins could muster disappointingly few answers.
Saracens’s starting XV, interestingly, contained only six of the team who kicked off last season’s Premiership final but the watching England assistant coach, Andy Farrell, still had numerous high-profile Test candidates to keep an eye on. Among the other compelling battles were Mike Brown’s duel with Alex Goode at full-back, while the head to head between the wily Easter and the bullocking Billy Vunipola at No8 was never going to be dull. No wonder Conor O’Shea, Quins’ director of rugby, called it “a big blow in emotional terms” and rated it the worst experience of his tenure.
Bubbling away in the background was a further subplot, namely the appearance of Steffon Armitage’s name in an enlarged French squad named by Philippe Saint-André. The International Rugby Board are playing down the prospect of the Toulon-based Armitage representing Les Bleus if he is initially picked to represent France at sevens but it still poses a potential dilemma for the England hierarchy, who have steadfastly declined to pick the back-row forward while he is based abroad. L’affaire Armitage will become an even more pressing issue if injuries start to mount and this was another sapping encounter. “They were outstanding but we were terrible in so many ways,” he said. “It’s a bitter pill to do that in front of your own crowd. It’ll be a massive mental challenge for the whole group now. That was just not us. Mentally by the end of the game you’re shot to pieces.”
Kyle Sinckler’s early hit on Chris Ashton was the most shuddering collision but a slightly depleted Saracens pack proved more than competitive. It required a fine last-ditch tackle from Brown to deny Duncan Taylor a 21st-minute try and two Hodgson penalties were due reward for the visitors’ early efforts. Saracens’s starting XV, interestingly, contained just six of the team which kicked off last season’s Premiership final but the watching England assistant coach, Andy Farrell, still had numerous high-profile Test candidates to keep an eye on. Very few Quins advanced their causes, although Mike Brown battled doggedly, but Fraser, Richard Wigglesworth and the former Jersey prop Richard Barrington were all outstanding.
The fly-half then added a trademark charge-down try to his tally, rushing up on an unsuspecting Nick Evans and scooping up the loose ball to cruise over untouched from 35 metres out. His conversion extended Saracens’ cushion to 13-0 and a further penalty, following a costly turnover conceded by Marland Yarde, made life more uncomfortable still for the hosts. If Fraser keeps playing like this, it will not be such a significant loss if Steffon Armitage throws in his lot with France, the flanker having already been included in an enlarged French squad named by Philippe Saint-André. The International Rugby Board are playing down the prospect of the Toulon-based Armitage representing Les Bleus at XVs, if he is initially picked to represent France at sevens, despite the fact that the England hierarchy have steadfastly declined to pick the ex-London Irish man while he is based abroad.
Evans was off target with his only penalty attempt of the half and Quins’ decision to kick for the corner on three separate occasions also draw a frustrating blank. A theoretically depleted Sarries pack were certainly extremely competitive here. It required a fine last-ditch tackle from Brown to deny Duncan Taylor a 21st minute try and two Hodgson penalties were just reward for their early efforts. The fly-half then added a trademark chargedown try to his tally, rushing up on an unsuspecting Nick Evans and scooping up the loose ball to cruise over untouched from 35 metres out.
Even the sin-binning of Hodgson and his captain Alistair Hargreaves in the third quarter proved insufficient to turn the tide, Saracens’ defence was equally unyielding with 14 men. Still Quins kicked for the corner, still they failed to trouble the scorers. If it was not a conspicuous triumph for their new captain Joe Marler it was scarcely his fault alone. Quins simply could not establish any momentum and Saracens’ rush defence did the rest. Evans was off target with his only penalty attempt of the half and Quins’ decision to kick for the corner on three separate occasions also draw a blank as Sarries led 16-0 at the interval. Even the sin-binning of Hodgson – the first yellow card of his long career – and his captain Alistair Hargreaves in the third quarter proved insufficient to turn the tide, Saracens’ defence proving equally unyielding with 14 men.
The loss of the injured Evans, Matt Hopper and Charlie Walker scarcely helped and nor did the sin-binning of Rob Buchanan in the final quarter. In truth, though, there was a gulf between the sides, an impression further underlined by a 70th-minute try from Ashton after another Quins fumble, this time by Ollie Lindsay-Hague. The loss of the injured Evans, Matt Hopper and Charlie Walker scarcely aided Quins’ cause and the sin-binning of Rob Buchanan in the final quarter was an additional handicap. In truth, though, there was a gulf between the sides on the night, an impression further underlined by a 70th-minute try from Chris Ashton after another Quins fumble, this time by Ollie Lindsay-Hague. Ashton gave the cover defence a head start but comfortably won the race and a third close-range score, from Fraser, completed Quins’ miserable evening.
Ashton gave the cover defence a head start but comfortably won the race and a third close-range score from Fraser completed Quins’ miserable evening. It was the hosts’ first league defeat at The Stoop since they lost to same opponents here almost a year ago. It was the hosts’ first league defeat at the Stoop since they lost to same opponents here almost a year ago.
Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Hopper (Walker, 18; Clifford, 50), Turner, Hall, Lindsay-Hague; Evans (Botica, h/t), Care (Dickson, 63); Marler (c), Gray (Buchanan, 74), Sinckler (Collier, 58), Matthews (Merrick, 61), Robson, Wallace, Robshaw, Easter. Sin-bin: Buchanan 63.Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Hopper (Walker, 18; Clifford, 50), Turner, Hall, Lindsay-Hague; Evans (Botica, h/t), Care (Dickson, 63); Marler (c), Gray (Buchanan, 74), Sinckler (Collier, 58), Matthews (Merrick, 61), Robson, Wallace, Robshaw, Easter. Sin-bin: Buchanan 63.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Taylor, Barritt, Strettle (Wyles, 63); Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Taylor, Barritt, Strettle (Wyles, 63); Hodgson (Farrell, 66), Wigglesworth; (Spencer, 70); Barrington (Gill, 50), George, Longbottom (Du Plessis, 53), Kruis, Hargreaves (c; Botha 65), Wray (Brown, 50), Fraser, B Vunipola. Tries: Hodgson, Ashton, Fraser. Cons: Hodgson, Farrell 2. Pens: Hodgson 5, Goode. Sin-bin: Hodgson 43, Hargreaves 55.
Hodgson (Farrell, 66), Wigglesworth; (Spencer, 70); Barrington (Gill, 50), George, Longbottom (Du Plessis, 53), Kruis, Hargreaves (c; Botha 65), Wray (Brown, 50), Fraser, B Vunipola. Tries: Hodgson, Ashton, Fraser. Cons: Hodgson, Farrell 2. Pens: Hodgson 5, Goode. Sin-bin: Hodgson 43, Hargreaves 55. Referee: W Barnes (RFU). Referee: W Barnes (RFU).