MATCH REPORT | Harlequins Women 26 - 43 Saracens Women (PWR R13)
Saracens spoiled the party in South West London with a huge win over local rivals Harlequins in the return to the PWR season.
Sarries picked up their twelfth consecutive PWR victory with a win on the road, putting them back atop the league table. The game started with fireworks booming around Twickenham, but it was the visitors who struck first on the pitch. Successive penalties in the red zone and a deliberate knock-on from Harlequins left them with 14 players on the pitch as Kayleigh Powell was given 10 minutes in the bin. Sarries then headed to the corner, producing a classic catch and drive for May Campbell to dive over for her tenth try of the season.
The hosts bit back minutes later after also picking up a penalty and heading to the corner. This time, however, it was a pick and go from metres out that eventually got them over the line through skipper Jade Konkel to get Quins back in the game inside the first quarter.
Halfway through the half, Saracens extended their lead. After a long ball out to Alysha Corrigan, the winger slalomed through the defence before offloading to Sophie Bridger metres out from the whitewash, who crossed for Saracens’ second.
Harlequins were not rolling over though and once again responded to the Saracens score. It was another penalty that let them into the visitors’ 22, with a clever lineout strike seeing Aoife Wafer get over unopposed at the tail of the set-piece to put Quins within two.
In what was proving to be a back-and-forth affair, it was Saracens who got the last laugh before the half. Slick hands just inside their half gave Gabrielle Senft space to race down the touchline before finding Liv Apps on her inside, who showed a strong turn of pace to score in the corner, continuing her strong try-scoring tally in the league.
Sarries saved the best for last in the first half with a worldie of a score just before the whistle. Inside their own dead-ball line, Zoe Harrison threw an audacious pass to Sophie Bridger who sprinted to the halfway line unopposed before giving it to Jess Breach, who stepped back inside to score an electric bonus-point try just before half-time.
The floodgates then opened in the second half as Sarries ran riot in South West London. Two more tries from May Campbell at close range sandwiched in-between a yellow card for Aoife Wafer put the game out of reach for the hosts and gave the Saracens co-captain a well-deserved hat-trick.
Saracens then rung the changes bringing fresh bodies onto the pitch and managing to keep Quins at bay after the hosts made some in roads in the Saracens 22. Quins did manage to get the try bonus point after Amelia MacDougall was shown a yellow for a late cover tackle. The resulting kick into the corner set up the chance for Tuima to cross in the corner with the player overlap in Harlequins' hands.
Their fourth score once again came from Sarries ill-discipline keeping them pinned in their own 22. In the end it was Ella Cromack who got the finishing touch scoring in the corner for their fourth.
It mattered little to the outcome however, as Zoe Harrison slotted a late penalty kick against their London rivals to seal yet another five point win.
The Original Club of North London return to the StoneX Stadium next Sunday for a top of the table clash with Gloucester-Hartpury. Get your tickets now for some unmissable PWR action.
