Saracens 17 Harlequins 36
A stellar performance from Scottish international Jade Konkel inspired Harlequins to a pulsating victory over Premier 15s rivals Saracens, whose three-and-a-half year unbeaten run at the StonexX Stadium came to an end.
In a ferocious game which saw two forward packs slugging it out against each other, it was the reigning league champions who looked the slicker and more creative outfit, implementing a game plan that continually subdued Saracens’ tenacious duo of Marlie Packer and Poppy Cleall.
The hosts drew first blood through hooker May Campbell, but Harlequins soon settled into an unstoppable rhythm which was orchestrated by Konkel.
The Scotland international proved the key difference between the two sides, executing a player of the match performance that glittered with a series of leg-busting carries and try-making offloads. She struck back for her side’s first, bulldozing her way over the whitewash from a lineout before rounding off proceedings with her side’s fifth to earn her side a huge victory.
It was a poignant display from Harlequins’ omnipresent back-rower, who was visibly emotional before the match when a minute’s silence was held for her late Scottish team-mate, Siobhan Cattigan, who passed away last month, aged 26.
“It’s been a really tough week for the rugby community, I think we all really stuck together in really difficult times,” said Konkel. “It’s been a really tough week but I think we all knew how important that match was for people who couldn’t be here.”
Fi Fletcher scored a carbon copy of Harlequins’ first as the visitors – armed with their all-England front row of Vickii Cornborough, Amy Cokayne and Shaunagh Brown – capitalised on Cleall’s sin-binning early on.
Saracens posted three more points through the boot of Zoe Harrison, but her opposite number Emily Scott was a dominant force all afternoon, carving through a porous Saracens defence on the cusp of half time before another break teed up her side’s last try.
