Strettle gives Quins a flyer

Sarries have to settle for losing bonus point

Last updated: 7th September 2008

Ugo Monye David Strettle

Quins tryscorers Ugo Monye and David Strettle

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England winger David Strettle scored a try in just 53 seconds as Harlequins got their campaign off to a winning start with a 24-21 victory over Saracens.

Debutant fly-half Nick Evans kicked 11 points and Strettle's fellow winger Ugo Monye sauntered over for a second-half try, as Quins held off their London rivals.

Adam Powell and Neil de Kock ensured the Men in Black remained in touch but their refusal to attempt a late drop goal eventually cost Eddie Jones' men in a tight Twickenham clash.

Strettle wasted no time in laying down his claims for an England recall as Quins profited directly from the new Experimental Law Variations to score from a close-range scrum.

With defenders now having to line up five metres behind the back foot of the scrum, Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care had plenty of space to attack the blind-side and send Strettle over in the right corner.

Saracens' decision to start with Chris Jack at blindside flanker was experimental and there was little the former All Blacks lock could do against such an incisive attack.

But that opening spark hardly set the tone for a first half of few opportunities, which highlighted how the new ELVs do not guarantee open and exciting rugby.

Evans missed his conversion but Quins retained the lead through to the interval with a penalty from the former All Black in between two successful shots from Saracens' own New Zealand number 10 Glen Jackson.

Golden chance

Saracens had a golden chance to score shortly before the interval but Jack failed to utilise the overlap inside Quins' 22 and cut inside, only for his offload to drift forward.

Saracens found the breakthrough they had been threatening four minutes into the second half and took the lead with a brilliant 60-metre solo try from Powell.

The England Saxons centre cut through the Quins defensive line inside his own half and then had enough pace to fend off Monye and stretch past Evans to score.

But Saracens' lead was short-lived. Quins launched a long lineout to Care in midfield and the England scrum-half flicked a clever inside ball to Monye.

The Quins winger still had two defenders to beat but he skipped over the line, celebrating Usain Bolt-style as he went under the posts.

Evans converted and then pulled Quins clear with a penalty and a drop-goal from in front of the posts.

Roared back

But Saracens roared back again. Jack sprinted down the right wing, checked his run to draw the cover defence and then slipped a pass to send De Kock in for the try.

Fijian replacement Waisea Luveniyali slotted another penalty which pushed Quins six points clear and, although Jackson responded in kind, Saracens could not create a drop-goal chance in the closing minutes and had to settle for a losing bonus point.