By Jason Harris
November 12 2004

Saracens go into round 9 of the Zurich Premiership being targeted by NEC Harlequins as the side that will finally bring their hitherto winless season out of the doldrums. Quins are confident that the Men in Black will be the first team to lose to them this season and put a smile back on their faces. The corresponding fixture last season was something of a let down. Quins won 12-10 despite being outplayed for the best part and where it not for an uncharacteristic error by Richard Hill with a three man overlap outside him, Sarries might just have nicked it.

It was a match in stark contrast to the normaly free-scoring affairs between these two sides which rarely end up in one-sided contests.

Mark Evans and John Kingston have been reviled by some of the Quins support after the club's worst start in recent memory. Just one draw with Castres in the Heineken Cup is all they have to show this year apart from a string of "L"s on the fixture list and they know that, with the half way point in the league looming large, they need to break their duck very soon. Put simply, they're under immense pressure to deliver tonight.

Quins' form seems to be improving. That Castres draw and a narrow defeat to champions Wasps last Friday point towards some green shoots of recovery down Twickenham way, but they will have to make do without Will Greenwood - hero and pantomime villain at the Causeway last time out - and his presence will be sorely missed.

Greenwood's fellow Lions tourist Dafydd James will have to shoulder the midfield burden in his absence, alongside Mel Deane. The centre battle between the Quins pair and Sarries duo Dan Harris and Ben Johnston will be a good one, but there are many more interesting match-ups all around the park.

At half back, the south sea islanders Steve So’oialo for Quins and Mosese Rauluni will be out to give the other a hard time; there will be a huge clash on the wing where irresistible force George Harder will try to get the better of immovable object Tevita Vaikona; and in the back row the experience and class of Quins skipper Andre Vos will present Sarries' latest back row discovery David Seymour with probably his toughest test to date and Kris Chesney will lock horns with his old mate Tony Diprose at the back of the scrum.

Sarries showed against Bath that they had some offensive and defensive frailties out wide as Frikke Welsh sailed in for two tries and another interception try - this time for Andrew Higgins - was given away needlessly.

However, Saracens also showed some resolve to turn a lost cause into a nailbiter by clawing their way back into the game and take two bonus points; something that is a welcome return feature to their game this season.

A lot will lie on the sholders of new stand-off Glen Jackson who inspired Saracens late-on at Franklin's Gardens. The New Zealander will have to get his back line moving and his goal kicking will need to be exemplary if the Men in Black are to take the points.

Nearly all the pundits have gone for a home win, citing Quins' increasing desperation and recent improvement in form as the factors that will see them home. Saracens, meanwhile, are once again being written off after yet another indifferent first half to the Premiership season.

However, with the timely return of Iain Fullarton to the starting lineup to give Sarries more lineout options, a probable first outing for on-the-bench Alex Sanderson after his long injury lay-off and Cobus Visagie at last ready to come on and give the opposition loosehead a good work-out, I think Sarries are capable of doing it and resigning Quins to their 11th straight league reverse and keep them rooted to the foot of the table.