Marcus Smith’s return was the spark that ignited Harlequins’ first victory of the season in the Gallagher Premiership, marking the end of Saracens’ perfect start, who fell 20-14 at The Stoop.
Smith, in his first appearance after the British and Irish Lions tour, scored Quins’ first try and orchestrated the aerial attack that ultimately sealed the defeat of their London rivals.
The talented English player also scored two goals, the second after Tyrone Green’s try in the second half, and added two penalties, surpassing Owen Farrell, who led Saracens from the center.
Farrell assisted in tries by Fergus Burke and Ben Earl with a sublime pass and a precise cross-kick, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his team’s third consecutive defeat against Harlequins.The home team dominated most of the first half, but went into halftime with a lead of only 10-7, thanks to a penalty by Smith.
The battle in the scrum, the kicking game and key individual moments favored Quins, although they only managed one try in their period of dominance, with Smith making his way through in the ninth minute.
Farrell missed a kick launched by Smith, which caused the joy of the local fans, who then celebrated when Tom Willis, from Saracens, was stopped by Kieran Treadwell.
Both teams resorted to kicks frequently, averaging one per minute in the first quarter, but Smith stood out for his variety.
Saracens were struggling to get out of their half, but in the 27th minute, their attack came alive when Farrell delivered a spectacular pass to Lucio Cinti, and Burke finished a try.
Chandler Cunningham-South made a big tackle on Willis, and when the home scrum got a penalty, Smith converted it into points.
The second half began with Quins extending their lead, with Green scoring after a kick from Smith.
Saracens tried to put pressure in the opposing field, but the scrum played against them, conceding a penalty that relieved their opponents.
In the 65th minute, the North London club scored their second try, with an attack initiated by Max Malins and finished with a cross-kick from Farrell for Ben Earl to score.
Boris Wenger saw his try disallowed for a double movement, and Quins spent the last minutes in rival territory, securing the victory with Smith’s second penalty just before the end, at which point he was named Player of the Match.