Quins take Care of Sarries

Danny Care issued a statement of intent to England manager Martin Johnson by producing a match-winning performance for Harlequins in their 21-15 Guinness Premiership victory over Saracens at the Twickenham Stoop.

The scrum-half, under pressure for his Six Nations place after being sin-binned when he came off the bench against Ireland last week, instigated the move which led to Quins' first try for prop Ceri Jones and then scored the second to seal victory.

Nick Evans appeared rather out-of-sorts, missing three penalty attempts and the second conversion, but the fly-half nevertheless kicked three penalties and a conversion.

Brilliant effort

Care's try was a brilliant effort, the livewire number nine grabbing the ball from the back of a ruck and bursting down the left touchline to score in the corner.

Saracens replied with tries from flanker Wilkus van Heerden and winger Richard Haughton.

Glen Jackson, the Guinness Premiership's leading points scorer, took his tally for the season to 201 with a penalty and a conversion as his side pushed Quins all the way.

Indeed, they made the brighter start and led 10-3 midway through the first half.

Fly-half Jackson missed an easy third-minute penalty before Evans opened the scoring with a 12th-minute penalty after the visitors infringed at a scrum.

Jackson levelled matters in the 21st minute and Saracens went ahead soon after thanks to a try by South African flanker van Heerden.

They had already repelled a series of Quins attacks in which wingers David Strettle and Ugo Monye, both looking to win their way back into the England team, were prominent.

Strettle, recently returned from three months on the sidelines following surgery on his foot, beat Noah Cato on a run down the touchline before being tackled by a covering defender.

Then Monye, restricted to Johnson's replacements' bench after missing the start of the RBS Six Nations with a back injury, produced two powerful runs down the left.

The visitors retaliated with an inventive try, scored after Cato, who had taken a pass from centre Adam Powell, was brought down just short of the line by Strettle and Quins number eight Tom Guest.

With Quins being penalised at the ruck, Sarries scrum-half Justin Marshall then took a quick tap penalty and, after prop Matius Aguero had been held up, Van Heerden eventually powered over.

Jackson converted to become the first Premiership player to pass 200 points for the season.

Evans cut the deficit to four with a 29th-minute penalty and then Care set up the try which took Harlequins into the lead.

Taking a tap penalty, he jinked through the defence before South African hooker Gary Botha provided the final pass for Welsh prop Jones to stretch over the line and touch down one-handed.

Evans kicked the extras but missed his second first-half penalty from comfortable range two minutes before the interval.

Difficult penalty

However, he made amends by landing a much more difficult penalty seven minutes into the second half to extend the home side's lead to 16-10.

Evans then sent Monye charging for the line but the winger lost the ball in the tackle - Sarries number eight Ben Skirving putting them back on the attack with a near 70-metre charge down the left touchline.

Then the fly-half provided a teasing crossfield kick for Strettle, who was well tackled by Jackson.

Saracens hit back with a superb try of their own when young full-back Alex Goode released Haughton and the winger tore through the home defence.

But Jackson missed a conversion opportunity that would have put Saracens ahead - Care subsequently conjuring up Quins' second try that proved crucial.