Will Skelton double inspires Saracens to comeback win over Harlequins

Comebacks are all the rage at the moment. This might not have been the overturning of a 31-point lead, but if a response to adversity is the mark of a champion side, Saracens reinforced their credentials. After an opening 30 minutes that was anything but the stuff of champions – and in front of more than 40,000 here – their problems were compounded by the concession of two tries in the last 10 minutes of the first half for an 11-point deficit at the break.

There ended their troubles. They overcame Harlequins – and indeed some disadvantageous refereeing – decisively in the second half, to re-establish themselves in the race for a home play-off and finish the day 12 points clear of Gloucester in third.

Two tries from Will Skelton formed the bedrock of the victory. The big – although not as big as he used to be – Australian lock was a bullocking, offloading menace throughout. All of which confounds the Wallabies, who must be wondering what it is they did not do to coax such form from the man.

“I think that’s the longest game he’s ever played for us,” said the Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall. “He was magnificent. It was almost as if he decided in the second half that he was going to be the difference. We’re going to have some tough calls next week.”

Saracens host Glasgow then, overtures of last Saturday’s Calcutta Cup no doubt coursing throughout their beings. Having welcomed back five from Six Nations duty here, they will have more internationals available for that European quarter-final, including Maro Itoje and George Kruis.

Such playing resources incline some to be sceptical. “We can’t afford Skelton and [Billy] Vunipola,” said the Harlequins head coach, Paul Gustard. “I don’t know who can. Actually, I do.”

After causing Saracens as much trouble as anybody in the first half, Quins were blown away in the second, Skelton and Vunipola to the fore indeed. A controversial try just before half-time had given them an 11-point lead for which they were full value.

Alex Lozowski had been enduring an uncomfortable afternoon already, but his nightmare intensified in the 10 minutes before the break, notwithstanding the two penalties he stroked over in that time. On the half-hour, Mike Brown broke past him in Quins’s 22 to spark the game’s first meaningful try-scoring opportunity.

Saracens snuffed that out, but the respite was brief. Straight from the next lineout, Marcus Smith looped round Ben Tapuai and caught Lozowski out of position to streak through for the first try.

Lozowski responded with those two quick penalties, the second of which came with a yellow card for Matt Symons, who did not roll away from his tackle on Jamie George inches from the line.

Lozowski landed that second penalty in the last minute of the half to pull Saracens back to 10-6, but there was still time for one last involvement, this one in the last second. Lozowski felt it was safe to hoof the ball to touch; the referee felt otherwise. With half a second on the clock, there was time for the lineout. Sure enough, Quins scored from it, Danny Care darting blind, before Smith then rubbed it in further with a conversion from the touchline.

This spurred Saracens into action. But still they received no assistance from the referee. Vunipola, one could argue, received some, charging straight atthe referee, JP Doyle and then through the tackle of Chris Robshaw to the try line. Alas, Doyle thought, contrary to the TMO, that he had been of assistance by blocking Robshaw’s view, so the try was scrubbed off. It did not matter: Schalk Burger barged his way over a few minutes later for Sarries’s first.

They were liberated. One stunning passage of play from their own half featuring matador contributions from Alex Goode, Sean Maitland and Liam Williams concluded with David Strettle crossing on the right. Doyle, though, once again had other ideas. Care and Williams were involved in a contretemps at the final ruck, which was worth a yellow to each and the cancellation of a fine try.

No matter again. Saracens were awarded the penalty, and Skelton drove over from the next play after more relentless approach play. Now it was Skelton time. His deliberate knock-on gave Smith the chance to level the scores with the longest kick of his Premiership career from just inside Saracens’s half, but it was a rare foray. Saracens had spent 75% of the second half in Quins territory at that point and made it tell .

A Skelton off-load had Quins in trouble when Nathan Earle fumbled Goode’s chip through, and Skelton appeared again, taking Ben Spencer’s short ball to crash through two to the line. Lozowski landed the conversion .

It proved enough. Goode had a late chance to deprive Quins of the bonus point, but he scuffed his penalty badly. By then, though, the comeback had been completed.

source: theguardian.com