Premiership Semi-Final

Saracens 31-17 Harlequins

A second-half surge from Saracens was too much for Harlequins as they failed to make to their second Aviva Premiership final in three years.

The Heineken Cup finalists scored 20 unanswered points in the second half, with Quins struggling to get much possession after the break at Allianz Park.

Conor O'Shea's team would have been confident having lead 17-11 at half-time, despite playing against a side were down to 13 players at a time.

Fly-half Nick Evans opened the scoring with a penalty after the home team were penalised for being offside at the ruck.

However, Saracens struck right back with a penalty of their own, after Quins were guilty of not releasing the tackled player on the ground.

It wasn't long the home side were a man down, when on the half hour mark Marcelo Bosch went to the sin-bin for a tip-tackle on Evans.

Five minutes later Quins were given an added boost as Matt Stevens was yellow carded after the prop slapped down an Evans pass as the fly-half was making a break from his own 22. This left the home side down to 13.

Quins made the extra man count, after some great interplay and offloading between forwards and backs Ugo Monye dived over under the posts. Evans Converted.

However, Saracens struck right back after man of the match Billy Vunipola burst off the back of the scrum over Evans before being brought down. They moved the ball wide with Kelly Brown able to get outside second-row Charlie Matthews to touch down in the corner. England fly-half Farrell couldn't add the extras.

Harlequins' Ugo Monye scores a try against Saracens

On the stroke of half-time, a big hit by Tim Molenaar on Alistair Hargreaves forced a knock-on on the halfway line and allowed Chris Robshaw to hack through, with the recently crowned Aviva Premiership player of the season Mike Brown having the speed to be the first to the ball and score. Evans converted, making it 17-11 to Harlequins at half-time.

In the second half Saracens came out fired up, with Quins having little to no chances to add to their half-time score.

Saracens finally scored their second try after having nearly the possession at the start of the second half. Brad Barritt wriggled through the Quins' defence, and dived under the posts. Farrell converted making it a one point game 18-17. Minutes later Farrell stretched the Heineken Cup finalist's lead further with a penalty after he was taken out chasing through a kick.

Bosch then had a try disallowed after it was ruled that he was offside from a Farrell charge down. However, it wasn't long until an in-form Chris Ashton scored, after a Kelly Brown break. Farrell converted making it 28-11.

Farrell then added another penalty to make it 31-11. Saracens will now meet Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership final in a fortnight's time, after the East Midland's side defeated Leicester Tigers on Friday night.

Harlequins: Brown, Williams, Molenaar, Turner-Hall, Monye, Evans, Care, Marler, Ward, Sinckler, Matthews, Robson, Wallace, Robshaw, Easter. Replacements: Buchanan, Lambert, Collier, Kennedy, Guest, Dickson, Botica, Smith.

Saracens: Goode, Ashton, Bosch, Barritt, Strettle, Farrell, De Kock, M Vunipola, Brits, Stevens, Borthwick, Hargreaves, Brown, Burger, B Vunipola. Replacements: George, Barrington, Johnston, Sheriff, Wray, Wigglesworth, Hodgson, Wyles.

Attendance: 9,962