Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson hailed his players' efforts at both ends of the pitch as they ended a run of eight straight Premiership derby defeats with a tense 17-10 victory over Saracens at the Stoop.

Tries from Fin Baxter and Lennox Anyanwu, coupled with a Marcus Smith penalty, proved enough to overcome Saracens and seal a famous victory over their London rivals.

Yet for all their typical attacking prowess, a resilient backline laid down the foundations for Saturday's win, as Harlequins heroically held the visitors to just 10 points in a bruising derby day battle.

Wilson told BBC Radio London: "We didn't talk about Sarries much, we spent the whole week talking about ourselves - if we get our stuff right, with the improvements we are trying to make in defence, then we give ourselves a real chance; it's basically what happened.

"I'm really pleased, it's a massive win. To win a derby game at home, which we haven't for a while against Saracens, and a fully-loaded Saracens at that, is really pleasing.

"Quins do not want to lose our attacking identity but if we don't improve our defence we have to go and score five tries every week to give us a chance of winning. We've held Saracens to 10 points. It had a Test match feel about it."

Speaking to in-house club media, wing Cadan Murley added: "It wasn't the most Quinsy performance ever. We didn't chuck a load of tries in but we dug in in defence and since Jason's [Gilmore] come in that's really set the tone for us. Holding Saracens, top of the league, to 10 points is massive.

"Credit to the forwards. We spoke all week about them being more physical and I think they stepped up and were the more physical pack."

Elsewhere, despite battling hard Harlequins Women fell to a 27-18 defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury in their second Premiership Women's Rugby match of the season.

Ella Cromack's 15th-minute penalty and scrum-half Freya Aucken's try gave Quins an 8-7 lead heading into the break, only for defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury to claim victory off the back of tries from Emma Sing, El Perry and Charlie Woodman in the second-half.

Speaking to in-house media, head coach Ross Chisholm said: "It is gutting. Did the score-line reflect the game? I suppose in the end it probably did.
"The difference in effort and intensity we put out there for 70 minutes and then in the last 10 minutes, to be fair to Gloucester-Hartpury they were clinical in that.

"I think that was the story of the game. When we had lots of opportunities in the 22, same as last week, and we didn't finish our chances. Lots and lots of pressure in that zone, lots of good approach work but when you get in there, the game is about scoring points.

"Unfortunately we couldn't finish so we'll go away and look at that and reflect on what we can do better.

"Credit to Gloucester-Hartpury, when they get in there, they're clinical and that's the reason why they're back-to-back champions."