by The end of an era may be approaching for Saracens but their time as the premier class of the Premier League is, on this evidence, far from over. England’s top flight may be more competitive than ever, but it is hard to shake the feeling that come the crunch it will be Saracens who will ultimately be victorious with a winning combination of faith and brilliance, as they have done so often in last decade and a half. .
Coach Mark McCall played down the idea that the departure of Owen Farrell and Vunipolas would provide any extra motivation for his squad during the week, but this was a statement performance to start a six-game sprint into the playoffs. On their annual trip to the home of Tottenham Hotspur, any Ange-ball enthusiasts in the near-capacity crowd would have enjoyed the attacking adventures Saracens created in an eight-try rout.
These trips to big venues are vital pillars of the commercial strategy for these two clubs, the Harlequins Big Game is now part of the Festival calendar and this Showdown is fast becoming a thesis after the Six Nations too. If a sermon on the roof didn’t provide enough pre-match spectacle, a gospel choir was on hand to announce the arrival of captain Farrell on his 250.th Saracens’ appearance ensured an appropriate level of pomp. The fly half responded with a fine controlled performance, pulling the strings in attack and setting the tone in defense in a dominant performance.
“Owen was incredible,” McCall said afterward. “He played as well as I’ve seen in a long time. It seemed important to him today, and I think it will be that way for the rest of the season. He didn’t like being the center of attention during the week but the players wanted to make it special because they have a lot of respect for him.”
The defending champions came close to fully loaded despite the intensity of the Six Nations which is still not far from the rear view mirror. Even with Maro Itoje rested after playing every minute of England’s Six Nations campaign, McCall could name six internationals in his starting pack while keeping another half-dozen Test forwards in reserve.
Theo Dan and Ben Earl were deemed capable of taking part after their international efforts, and sparked their side into life, showing some fancy footwork to break the line. Space appeared on the left with Harlequins short on numbers, and Elliot Daly – deployed at full-back – put in the connecting hands needed to head Alex Lewington over in the corner.
The pack then went to work in a more traditional way. Harlequins captain Stephan Lewies was sent to the bin after a series of penalties on his own line, and his team-mates were powerless to stop a header which Dan managed to shepherd to the line. When Theo McFarland sparked a counter-attack and Sean Maitland, who was called into the side on Rotimi Segun’s side after a late screamer, scored in the corner, Harlequins were 19 points inside 19 minutes without actually seeing the ball.
“Our attack might look loose, but there’s a lot of method behind what you might see as madness,” Dan explained later. “When Elliot is streaming passes through the leg, he could look loose, but he scanned and saw two guys outside him, so why not? It was just one of those days where it clicked and everything was falling apart.”
The bonus point came early enough. Although old stereotypes have been hard to shake, Saracens have shed shackles over the past two seasons to adopt a more heavenly style, showing off their circus skills to award Maitland a second. Farrell, Nick Tompkins and Lucio Cinti were involved in the routine but it was Daly’s pass between the legs that sent the crowd and Jamie George gasping.
At half-time, Saracens had ten downs on Harlequins and nearly five times as many meters as their visitors. The only setback on the day was the interval, Dan picking up where he left off with another score soon after his resurgence.
Alex Dombrandt’s short-range score got Quins on the board but they continued to struggle to slow down Saracens, Cinti bowing under the posts to continue the rout before compatriot Juan Martin Gonzalez and Alex Goode made it seven and eight with him. Defense coach Jerry Flannery was tempted away from Harlequins during the Premier League break by Rassie Erasmus and South Africa; no one else has been appointed yet but it seems very much needed.
Of course, it may not have mattered who was drilling the defense given Saracens’ strike runners. In McFarland, Iarla and Argentina’s Juan Martin Gonzalez, McCall has three of rugby’s favorite athletes at his disposal, with the long versatile Cinti starting to settle in nicely in the back line.
It will not be easy to replace Farrell’s class and competitiveness in the half with a club usually so good at planning their transfer business that their captain’s desire to go to France has hindered their business. The signing of Newcastle youngster Louie Johnson is expected to be confirmed soon with Kiwi Fergus Burke also strongly linked, while Alex Lozowski is considered a real option when he returns from a serious knee injury next season.
But all that can wait for another day – this current crop has its sights set on a seventh title and it will stop.
