Saracens made to battle by Harlequins in TV thriller for US viewers

If gallant failures are as popular in the US as they are over here, then this agonising defeat for Harlequins will be a smash hit as the first Premiership match to be screened free-to-air across the pond. Billy Vunipola’s try with 10 minutes remaining settled it but Saracens were given an almighty scare at a ground where they had lost on their last three visits.

Harlequins’ two tries – scored by Danny Care and Joe Marchant – may both have been opportune but it was a dogged performance from the hosts, recovering from the early loss of their former NFL player Paul Lasike to a nasty-looking head injury. Paul Gustard spent eight years coaching at Saracens before joining up with England and he would certainly have fancied this fixture. He will have to take consolation in that not many sides will leave Saracens clinging on in the final five minutes nor score more tries than them. Call them wolves, bears or whatever animal he likes to model his sides on – judging by the 201 tackles made by Harlequins, this was a performance with Gustard’s paw prints all over it.