Defending champions Quins sharpen the blade for StoneX Stadium

The Premiership semi-finals are finally upon us with two juicy battles in waiting, which will no doubt do justice to what has been yet another fantastic tournament. 

The round will commence at the StoneX Stadium where Saracens host defending champions, Harlequins. 

Saracens are back mixing it up with the best after a frustrating 2020-21 season in the Championship. McCall’s men managed to post 17 victories from their 24 outings and earned their home semi-final with 87 log points.  

Despite Quins’ title-holding status, it will be Saracens who will take the field with more confidence as they managed to brush the former aside in both of their previous encounters this season, the first of which took place in Round 7 at the Twickenham Stoop, where Sarries ran out 7-point victors: 

In the return (and most recent) fixture at StoneX Stadium, Quins stumbled against their rivals once more, this time a total of 9 points the difference between the teams: 

This from Saracens hooker Jamie George: 

“This is something we’ve been aspiring to for the last 18 months. It’s where we want to be and it’s where we feel most comfortable. 

"Intensity of training has really improved and there’s a good feeling in the camp as generally these games tend to bring the best out in us. 

We’re aware of how important the game is, how much we want it and the history of the game. We’ve been building towards something, and now it’s time to show up.” 

Quins managed 15 victories from their season thus far, amassing a total of 80 log points – good enough for third place on the log.  

Head Coach Tabai Matson’s message before the game was to the point:  

“As long as we are accurate and stay true to how we play as Harlequins, we have a great chance to beat a tough and proud team on their home ground in what should be a fantastic semi-final London derby,” he said. 

There are cracking individual contests in almost every position as far as this game goes, most notably, however, many eyes will be trained on the flyhalf channel where the experienced, tough and ever-skilful Owen Farrell will go toe-to-toe with the flamboyant and mecurially talented Marcus Smith.

At scrum time, Saracens' Vincent Koch packing down against Quins' Joe Marler will be something to savour - a contest which will have a significant bearing on the match as a whole.

Key facts:

• Saracens have won six of their last seven Premiership matches against Harlequins (L1); additionally, they have also won their last 10 matches at home against Harlequins, including their only previous meeting in the play-offs (31-17 in the 2013/14 semi-finals).
• Saracens have won their last four matches in the play-off stages of the Premiership, scoring an average of 41 points per match during those victories; they have won five of their previous six semi-final ties at home, with their only loss during that period coming against Northampton Saints in May 2013 (13-27).
• Saracens lost their most recent league match (7-54 v Gloucester Rugby) after winning seven in a row previously; their 47-point margin of defeat against Gloucester was their second-heaviest defeat in the Premiership (10-60 v Wasps in February 2020).
• Harlequins have won their last two Premiership play-off matches after losing two in a row previously; their most recent semi-final victory also took place away from home (43-36 v Bristol Bears in June 2021); all four of their previous play-off victories came by margins of seven points or fewer.
• Harlequins have lost two of their last three Premiership fixtures (W1) after winning six in a row previously; this run includes losses in their last two away fixtures, however, both of those defeats came by margins of fewer than 10 points with Quins scoring over 30 points in each game.
• Saracens have the highest place-kicking success rate of any side in this season’s Premiership (79%); they’ve slotted more kicks than any other team overall this season (122) including a league-high 56 penalty goals.
• Harlequins (94%) and Saracens (92%) have won a greater percentage of their own scrums than any other side in this season’s Premiership; Saracens have also won a greater percentage of their opposition’s scrums than any other team in the league this term (17%).
• Harlequins have averaged 4.4 breakdown steals per game in the Premiership this season, the most of any team; individually only Bevan Rodd (17) has made more breakdown steals than Quins duo Andre Esterhuizen (15) and Alex Dombrandt (13, level with Julian Montoya).
• Saracens’ Max Malins is the top try-scorer in this season’s Premiership (16), while teammate Tom Woolstencroft is one of just three forwards to have scored 10+ tries this season (10); however, no player has assisted as many tries as Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care (17).
• Harlequins’ Andre Esterhuizen (234) and Tyrone Green (239) have made the most carries of any backs in this season’s Premiership; they rank third and fourth overall respectively, behind Ruan Ackermann (287) and Saracens’ Billy Vunipola (248). Esterhuizen also tops the charts for post-contact metres this season (793).