MATCH REPORT | Saracens Women 14 - 15 Harlequins Women (PWR R7)
Harlequins fought off Saracens to win a hotly contested Duel at StoneX Stadium
Despite tough conditions, the visitors managed to deter a second half comeback from Sarries to see out the win in front of a raucous Saracens crowd.
The game started with an attack sparked by Lotte Sharp down the left touchline, following strong carries from Marlie Packer and Georgia Evans, saw Harlequins regather possession. Two successive kicks from Lucy Packer quickly reapplied pressure on the hosts.
Saracens, however, continued to test the visitors defence, building strong phases inside the Harlequins half. After earning a penalty underneath the posts, the hosts worked the ball to the width and came close to scoring the opening try. However, a poorly-timed intervention by a Harlequins hand denied Lotte Sharp a clear run to the try line, with the Quins defender receiving a yellow card in the process.
Minutes later, Poppy Cleall thought she had crossed for the first score of the afternoon after a strong shove from her forwards in the maul. Yet, the Harlequins defence held firm, preventing the number eight’s effort from grounding.
At the 25-minute mark, the visitors took the lead. Quick thinking from Claudia Pena allowed her to exploit a retreating Saracens defence off a quick tap penalty. The fullback then topped off her break with a perfectly placed kick behind the defensive line, which fortuitously rebounded off the corner flag and fell into the path of Beth Wilcock, who dotted down to open the scoring at StoneX Stadium.
Harlequins maintained the pressure and, just before the break, grabbed their second try. With the wind against them, Saracens struggled to exit their own 22. Quins capitalised, earning a penalty and heading to the corner. After a well-executed lineout, Lizzie Hanlon applied the finishing touch to bundle the ball over the line, putting the visitors 10 points ahead.
As the first half drew to a close, Saracens found themselves in better form. Zoe Harrison pulled the strings in midfield, creating space for Lotte Sharp to use her pace on the wing. Sarries continued to move the ball well despite testing conditions. However, the game took a turn when Rosie Galligan was caught high by Beth Wilcock. After a review from the TMO, it was decided that the Harlequins try-scorer would spend the next 10 minutes in the sin bin.
Despite the player advantage in the final play of the half, Saracens were unable to capitalise on a promising lineout into the wind, and the teams headed for the tunnel with the visitors holding a 10-point lead.
It took almost 20 minutes for the first big chance of the second half, as both sides struggled in the ever-worsening conditions. However, Harlequins managed to extend their lead after just over an hour gone. After Beth Wilcock sparked the chance, piercing through the Saracens defence from set-piece, the winger was on hand to finish the move dotting down in the corner after a well-timed offload from Sarah Parry.
The hosts did manage to get themselves on the scoresheet just moments later. After Zoe Harrison’s restart ricocheted off a Harlequins player before finding touch, Sarries set across the StoneX with a formidable driving maul that eventually crashed over underneath the sticks, allowing May Campbell to score her seventh of the league campaign.
As decibel levels started to rise around the ground, Saracens started to click into gear heading into the final 10 minutes. After dominant carries from May Campbell set the hosts on the front foot, Zoe Harrison spotted a gap and managed to dot the ball down despite being hounded by Quins defenders. With her conversion added, the fly half ensured a grandstand finish for this edition of The Duel.
Despite the best efforts of the North Londoners, Harlequins managed to hold their nerve in the closing stages, keeping the ball close and thumping it into the stand to ensure Quins of the victory on the road.
