Relegated Saracens Thrashed By Harlequins

(@FahadShabbir)

Relegated Saracens thrashed by Harlequins

London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2020 ) :Saracens' first English Premiership match since being automatically relegated for repeated salary cap breaches ended in heavy defeat as Harlequins eased to a 41-14 win at the Stoop.

The reigning champions, who were without a host of international stars ahead of the start of the Six Nations next weekend, were overawed in the first half as Cadan Murley's two tries and Danny Care's effort set up a convincing win.

Saracens fielded a young side and were ruthlessly exposed by Quins, who climb into the top half of the table.

Saracens, who were hit with a 35-point penalty earlier in the season, stay bottom with only tries from Alex Lozowski and Dom Morris providing a crumb of comfort.

Quins, roared on by a raucous home crowd, shot into a 19-0 lead inside 23 minutes.

Care burst clear to touch down in the first minute before fly-half Marcus Smith converted from the right.

A second try appeared inevitable and it came in the 10th minute.

Smith's cross-field kick from the left found hooker Elia Elia on the right and he burst through one tackle and off-loaded to Murley, who ran a perfect support line and slid over to score.

Paul Lasike then teed up Murley to run clear for his second try and Smith converted.

As the weather worsened, Saracens improved and with just over 10 minutes left of the first half they gained a foothold as Lozowski crashed over from a metre out.

But any hope of a comeback was snuffed out just four minutes into the second half, when a grubber kick forward was spilled by Matt Gallagher and pounced on by Gabriel Ibitoye for the bonus-point score.

A fifth try soon followed as Saracens fell apart. From a Quins line-out five metres out, Elia powered forward and passed inside for Lasike to dive over.

Dom Morris later capped his Saracens debut with a score in the corner but Quins had the last laugh when replacement Martin Landajo intercepted a loose ball and ran in unopposed.