Magical Marcus Smith inspires Harlequins to derby victory over Saracens

<ul><li><p>Harlequins 20-14 Saracens</p></li><li><p>England fly-half in inspired form with the boot</p></li></ul><p>Ordinarily a game‑winning performance from Marcus Smith worth 15 points would include a dozen line‑breaks, several offloads and more hot steps than a Motown nightclub. And while the England star dazzled in patches with ball in hand, it was his composed kicking that was the difference as Harlequins beat Saracens 20-14 in a scrappy but enjoyable London derby.</p><p>Smith launched raking kicks into space. He hoisted contestable spirals into pale blue skies. He dinked over the top of rushing defenders. His first‑half try came off a hoof into Saracens’ red zone, one that caused chaos in the backfield. Chandler Cunningham-South gathered the loose ball and bulldozed over the gain line. Shortly after, Smith, on the front foot, wriggled past a tackler to score from five metres out.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/12/harlequins-saracens-prem-rugby-union-match-report">Continue reading...</a>