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Last Updated: Saturday, 22 December 2007, 18:20 GMT

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Harlequins 20-27 Saracens

Saracens kept up the pressure on new leaders Bath

Harlequins: (3) 20
Tries: Fuga, Monye
Cons: Jarvis (2)
Pens: Jarvis (2)

Saracens: (10) 27
Tries: De Kock, Penney, Russell
Cons: Jackson (3)
Pens: Jackson (2)

Saracens handed Harlequins their first Guinness Premiership home defeat of the season as they maintained their challenge to new leaders Bath.

South Africans Neil de Kock and Brent Russell and centre Rodd Penney scored Saracens' tries with fly-half Glen Jackson kicking 12 points.

Harlequins replied with tries from Tani Fuga and Ugo Monye with Adrian Jarvis chipping in with 10 points.

Saracens remained third but moved alongside Gloucester on 27 points.

The bonus-point defeat helped Quins edge above Leicester into fourth, while Bath's 41-10 win over Leeds took them top.

On Sunday, Gloucester travel to Newcastle and Leicester visit Sale.

Harlequins boss Dean Richards:
"We created six try-scoring opportunities and converted two of them.

"Saracens are a very good side and their clinical finishing was better than ours on the day.

"The problem was that in the first 30 minutes we didn't put the points on the board. Their defence was good but we had opportunities which we didn't put away.

"I'm quite pleased we are creating the chances but we have got to finish them off. A lot of that comes down to experience. It's a bit frustrating when you play as well as we did and come away with nothing."

Saracens coach Alan Gaffney:
"We were totally dominated in the first 30 minutes but I commend our defence.

"I give our guys full credit for the way they defended. We were under the cosh for a lot of that game.

"Quins could easily have scored a couple of tries because we never got into the game in the opening 30 minutes.

"But I thought we came back well in the second half and scored some good tries. The second by Brent Russell was straight off the training field."

Harlequins: Brown, Strettle, Barry, Turner-Hall, Monye, Jarvis, Gomarsall; Jones, Botha, Ross, Kohn, Evans, Robshaw, Skinner, Easter (capt.)
Replacements: Fuga, Nebbett, Percival, Hala'ufia, Volley, So'oialo, Keogh.

Saracens: Russell, Haughton, Sorrell, Farrell, Ratuvou, Jackson, De Kock; Lloyd, Ongaro, Johnston, Vyvyan, Jack, Chesney, Hill, Skirving.
Replacements: Kyriacou, Visagie, Ryder, Seymour, Rauluni, Powell, Penney.

Referee: Tony Spreadbury (Bristol)

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