Harlequins 9-22 Saracens

Harlequins (6) 9
Pens: Evans 3
Saracens (6) 22
Try: Ratuvou Con: Hougaard Pens: Hougaard 3 Drop-goals: Hougaard 2

Quins centre Jordan Turner-Hall is taken down by the Saracens defence

Saracens continued their perfect start to the Premiership season by sending Harlequins to a third straight defeat.

Quins took an early lead through two Nick Evans penalties but Sarries scored through a Derick Hougaard drop-goal.

Hougaard levelled the scores with a penalty just before the break and the visitors then took the lead when Kameli Ratuvou went over for a converted try.

Evans cut the gap to 13-9 but a drop-goal and two penalties from Hougaard ensured Sarries go top of the table.

Harlequins, by contrast, are enduring a miserable start to the season after their controversy-hit summer and remain bottom after a second consecutive home defeat and third in all.

England's attack coach Brian Smith was in the stands, ostensibly to cast his eye over the opposing centres Jordan Turner-Hall and Brad Barritt following Riki Flutey's injury.

But there was very little attack on show as Saracens' tactics were to kick virtually everything, which limited Barritt's impact, while Turner-Hall was forced off with a shoulder injury in the second half.

With England full-back Delon Armitage also ruled out of the autumn Tests, Quins' Ugo Monye at least pressed his case further with another accomplished display as a stand-in 15.

Quins head coach John Kingston:
"We should have been six or nine points ahead at half-time but they defended very well.

"Just before half-time I sensed there was an element of frustration coming into our game and that never seemed to leave our game and we became more frantic.

"The try they scored changed the game because when they get in front they are very hard to play against. They play a certain way and they kick the ball a hell of a lot.

"It was not as if we didn't know what was coming. They executed it well, we didn't deal with it and they ended up worthy winners."

Harlequins: Monye; Strettle, Masson, Turner-Hall, Lowe; N Evans, So'oialo, Jones, Botha, Lambert, Stevenson, J Evans, Robshaw, Skinner, Easter, Andress.
Replacements: Drauniniu for Strettle (63), Clegg for Masson (58), McMillan for Turner-Hall (71), G Williams for So'oialo (69), Fuga for Botha (58), Andress for Lambert (67), Guest for Robshaw (64), Croall for Andress (79).

Sin Bin: J Evans (74).

Saracens: Goode; Cato, Ratuvou, Barritt, Wyles; Hougaard, de Kock; Gill, Brits, Nieto, Borthwick, Ryder, Owen, Saull, Joubert.
Replacements: Haughton for Cato (58), Marshall for de Kock (71), Mercey for Gill (55), Skuse for Nieto (66), Ongaro for Borthwick (68), Vyvyan for Ryder (29), Melck for Owen (50).

Not Used: Jackson.

Sin Bin: Wyles (60).

Att: 9,209

Ref: Chris White (RFU).