It is perhaps too early to herald a new era at Harlequins just yet but it is fair to say reports of their decline have been exaggerated. They no longer rank among the Premiership elite and remain gloriously inconsistent but after inflicting a first defeat on Saracens in six months, Harlequins earned the right to walk tall again. Critics have been silenced, for now at least.
In a grandstand finish, with Saracens requiring a converted try for a draw, only one spectator left a sold-out Stoop early – Eddie Jones departing with five minutes to go and much to ponder. It is, after all, Harlequins who contributed the most players, eight, to his most recent Elite Player Squad and having already been deprived of Jack Clifford for the autumn, the England head coach saw Mike Brown, Danny Care and Joe Marler – who departed after barely 15 seconds – all pick up injuries.
He was also denied the chance to see Owen Farrell – the Saracens fly-half had still not recovered from back and hip problems – and George Kruis, who has a better chance of returning against Bristol on Friday, when Jones names his latest squad. The Australian will no doubt have been impressed by Harlequins’ unheralded yeomen however, who withstood a prolonged Saracens siege before half-time. It is when they lose their internationals that Harlequins traditionally falter, so with defeats at Sale and Exeter preceding Saracens’ visit to The Stoop, supporters were understandably pessimistic as the November Tests come into focus.
John Kingston’s Harlequins tenure had not begun as well as hoped and capitulation to the European champions would only have aggravated his problems, already plentiful with Marland Yarde pulling out on Saturday morning with a throat infection, joining Nick Evans, Clifford, Adam Jones and Joe Marchant on the list of absentees.
But step forward the club stalwarts so often on a hiding to nothing when Chris Robshaw et al are on England duty. Mark Lambert, the 31-year-old loosehead, was chief among them after replacing Marler, knocked cold by Billy Vunipola’s hip, far earlier than expected.
“I actually came out a little bit late, I popped to the loo after the lads left the changing room and I was just taking my seat on the bench,” Lambert said. “I’d be lying if I said you expect to come on then but it’s very much your job. It’s very special for a few reasons. There are a lot of guys who are very proud to play for the club, I’m one of them. I love the club, fingers crossed I can finish my career here. I think there have been a few people questioning what we’re capable of as a club and that hurts. We’ve achieved a lot in the past but we probably haven’t done it as consistently as we’d have liked.
“I don’t think anybody really gave us a chance and traditionally we’ve quite enjoyed that. I can remember quite a few victories we’ve had when we’ve been written off – it’s something we respond to quite well. It’s never a nice feeling to be challenged in that way and I think a lot of guys really stepped up.”
There may have been some truth to Mark McCall’s claim that Saracens had done little wrong in slipping to 17-0 down after 20 minutes, to an intercept try for Tim Visser and one for Charlie Walker, Yarde’s late replacement, but the director of rugby was also honest enough to admit his side were uncharacteristically off-colour. Saracens know better than to panic however – they have a habit of responding well to defeats – and McCall gave the impression of someone ready to put a trying week, in which Chris Ashton was banned for 13 weeks, swiftly behind him.
“It has been a while since we had a setback, March is the last time this group lost, and in the past we’ve always used it as an opportunity to grow and get better and learn and hopefully it will be the case this time,” he said. “We have to be disappointed but give them some credit, they managed the game well in the second half. Owen did all the training last week but he didn’t quite feel right. He’s mad keen to play obviously and we’re mad keen to play him.”
Harlequins Brown; Walker (Alofa, 51), Hopper (Jackson, 68), Roberts, Visser; Swiel, Care (capt; Dickson, 48); Marler (Lambert, 1), Buchanan (Gray, 48), Collier (Sinckler, 48), Merrick, (Twomey 68), Horwill, Robshaw, Wallace, Chisholm.
Tries Visser, Walker. Cons Swiel 2. Pen Swiel.
Sin-bin Horwill 76.
Saracens Goode; Ellery, Bosch (Tompkins, 64), Barritt (capt), Wyles; Lozowski, Wigglesworth (Spencer, 66); M Vunipola (Barrington, 66), Brits (George, ht), Du Plessis (Figallo, ht), Itoje, Hamilton, Rhodes (Brown, 59), Wray, B Vunipola.
Tries Wigglesworth. Con Lozowski. Pen Spencer.
Referee C Maxwell-Keys. Att 14,800
