Harlequins vs Saracens
On Sunday is the clash of the round as champions Harlequins welcome Saracens to the Stoop. Harlequins were surprise champions last season and there was a hollow feeling that they won the title the year Saracens were relegated. They will want to set the record straight in this match and beat their London rivals. The difficult task will be made harder as they will be without their three England stars Marcus Watson, Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marler who are away on national duty. These players are integral to their success so it will be interesting to see how they fare without them. Saracens have also lost Captain Owen Farrell to an England call up but have many international stars still on their team sheet. The Vunipola brothers had a lot to prove after being overlooked by the national selectors and will no doubt come out firing against Harlequins.
TIP: This match will be the Harlequins attack versus the Saracens defence and we have seen the home team believe in attacking from anywhere on the field. They possess the best attacking team in the league with players like Tyrone Green and Louis Lynagh in the backline. Saracens will look to play their normal structured game with lots of kicking backed up by solid defence. They look to have the advantage in the forwards with Marler and Dombrandt missing but we have seen how tenacious this Quins team is. Quins will look to livewire former England scrumhalf Danny Care to launch their potent backline. The bookies have Saracens as favourites in this London derby but I’m going for the Quins upset victory. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 2.80, Playabets 2.46 and Sunbet 2.65
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Harlequins vs Saracens
- In the last five meetings between the sides there have been four Saracens wins and one for Harlequins.
- Four of the last five matches have been won by the home team.
- Saracens last won away to Harlequins in 2019.
Latest results for both teams
Harlequins won their last match 31-17 against Bath while Saracens beat Wasps 56-15 in their last match.
PREDICTION
Saracens have been ruthless in their last couple matches but will miss the guidance of Farrell and the attacking ability of Max Malins. Quins losing their star flyhalf have been offset by the availability of Italian flyhalf Tommy Allan. He showed in his couple of appearances this season that he is an able replacement. The power of the Saracens pack will be the biggest obstacle to Quins so therefore they will want a high tempo game without too many rucks and mauls. The best plan of action for Quins is that they must play like they always do and attack from their own half which will tire out the big Saracens pack. One of the outstanding head to head clashes will be Andre Esterhuizen up against Welsh centre Nick Tompkins with both players very physical, so expect to see some big hits in the midfield. The champions will want to prove a point and I predict them to win by 3 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Harlequins
15 Tyrone Green, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Tommy Allan, 9 Danny Care (c), 8 Tom Lawday, 7 Jack Kenningham, 6 James Chisholm, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Hugh Tizard, 3 Will Collier, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta
Saracens
15 Alex Goode (c), 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Dom Morris, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Alex Lozowski, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jackson Wray (c), 6 Andy Christie, 5 Tim Swinson, 4 Nick Isiekwe, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Tom Woolstencroft, 1 Mako Vunipola
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Harlequins victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 2.80
Playabets 2.46
Sunbet 2.65
Odds comparison on the Harlequins handicap :
The complete odds on the Harlequins handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+5.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+4.5) 1.93
Playabets (+5.5) 1.80
Predictions and Odds in details
One of the biggest attacking threats of Saracens has been their rolling maul but they will be missing their kingpins Maro Itoje and Jamie George. They will severely affect the ability of the rolling maul. Harlequins themselves are also very good at the rolling maul and the team that better defends the maul will come out on top. Arguably the most dangerous counter attacker in the league is Green and Saracens will need their kicks to be accurate or else he will run them ragged. The home support and better backline of Harlequins will see them over the line in a tight finish. There are great returns for punters going for the upset Harlequins win but if you are looking for a safer bet then I suggest the home team on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+5.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+4.5) 1.93 and Playabets (+5.5) 1.80
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
