2 weeks ago
Another Prem match, different comeback win. So communal are they these days that it hardly needs mentioning that this 1 had Quins overturning nan 17-point shortage by which they trailed aft small much than half an hour, only to people 34 unanswered points successful nan adjacent 50 minutes of rugby.
Their liking successful nan playoffs ended immoderate months ago, specified has been their shape this season, but their hopes of European rugby person been helped nary extremity by this romp astatine nan large stadium crossed nan road.
Exeter are still successful contention for those playoffs, but if you were to show them aft that first half-hour they would beryllium coming distant pinch only nan effort prize constituent they had conscionable secured, they mightiness not person believed you.
After their captious triumph complete champions Bath nan erstwhile Sunday, nan legs of their dense forwards started to look weary, arsenic nan six-day turnaround started to show successful nan wide-open spaces of HQ. The Chiefs stay successful fourth, but they could person put themselves each but retired of scope of nan chasing battalion had they not fallen away.
Boris Wenger was nan improbable fig to use nan icing connected Quins’ cake, intercepting a forced walk arsenic Exeter tried to tally nan shot retired from their 22 pinch nan timepiece red, and milking nan stadium’s euphoria arsenic he ran to nan posts for their sixth.
Will Evans, different replacement, had conscionable put nan crippled to bed, erstwhile he vanished retired wide aft Alex Dombrandt and Chandler Cunningham-South, Quins’ fantabulous performers successful nan backmost row, had scattered nan Exeter defence pinch 5 minutes to go. All that, aft a uncommon kicked punishment by Marcus Smith had put nan hosts successful beforehand for nan first clip pinch only 10 minutes to go.
Quite nan turnaround then, but if comeback wins are de rigueur these days, location was thing of an separator missing throughout, much jolly time retired than aggravated crucible. The visitors were nan first to capitalise connected nan looseness. They had that prize constituent soon aft nan half-hour mark, erstwhile Len Ikitau picked a slayer line, which took him done Jamie Benson and complete nan whitewash.
Benson was playing retired of position astatine full-back, and nan fly-half had a torrid clip pinch nan heavy-duty runners coming astatine him. Paul Brown-Bampoe besides trampled complete him connected nan measurement to Stephen Varney’s try, Exeter’s second, successful nan 10th minute.
Harlequins 41-24 Exeter teams and scorers
Show
Harlequins Benson; Anderson (Isgro 67), Northmore, Bradley, Murley; M Smith, Friday (Porter 59); Hobson (Wenger 63), Riley, Delgado (Streeter 53), Carr (Evans 53), Williams (Green 59), Cunningham-South, Kenningham (Driscoll 59), Dombrandt. Tries Kenningham, Northmore, Murley, Porter, Evans, Wenger. Cons M Smith 3. Pen M Smith.
Exeter Woodburn; Brown-Bampoe (Feyi-Waboso 55), Slade, Ikitau (Haydon-Wood 55), Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey (Dweba 53), Iosefa-Scott (Tchumbadze 53), Jenkins, Zambonin, Hooper (Tuima 75), Tshiunza, Vintcent (Worley-Brady 67). Yellow card Tchumbadze 72. Tries Ridl, Varney, Norey, Ikitau. Cons Slade 2.
Referee Matthew Carley.
Photograph: Jed Leicester/Shutterstock Editorial
Not that he was unsocial successful missing tackles. Neither side’s defence was great, nan half-full stadium, if that, and chill breeze lending proceedings a half-throttle feel. Not that nan juncture lacked its moments, those 2 tries astir apt nan prime of nan first half, but this strangely uncompetitive play has meant a batch of these games arsenic nan crisp extremity approaches are lacking a definite bite.
Campbell Ridl opened nan scoring successful nan seventh minute, uncovering himself pinch an property to stitchery Harvey Skinner’s cross-kick pursuing an attacking lineout. Varney’s effort followed quickly, earlier Jack Kenningham scored Quins’ first, picking and going disconnected Bryn Bradley’s difficult transportation from a lineout. Max Norey vanished smartly astatine nan beforehand of different attacking group portion to support Exeter successful credit, earlier Ikitau earned them that prize point.
Luke Northmore’s amble to nan statement done a monolithic spread for Quins’ 2nd 5 minutes earlier nan break, pursuing a fumble backwards by his centre partner Bradley, suggested each mightiness not beryllium good pinch nan Chiefs’ defence either. Further grounds was to travel early successful nan 2nd half.
Bath backmost successful shape aft thrashing Newcastle
ShowHenry Arundell scored 4 tries arsenic Bath tightened their grip connected 2nd spot successful nan Prem pinch a ascendant 69-12 location triumph complete Newcastle.
By ending a tally of 3 consecutive losses, Bath closed to wrong 4 points of leaders Northampton while pulling six points clear of third-placed Leicester up of nan Tigers’ conflict pinch Sale connected Sunday and crunch travel to nan Recreation Ground.
England helping Arundell crossed doubly arsenic Bath were unstoppable successful racing to a 31-0 lead pinch 5 tries earlier half-time and Santiago Carreras was among those who sewage successful connected nan enactment pinch six much pursuing nan break.
Newcastle yet managed to respond pinch a brace of tries from Alex Hearle but location was nary existent crumb of comfortableness nan Red Bulls could return from different dense defeat.
Quins, it should beryllium said, were now playing pinch nan threat we utilized to expect from them, which past week’s romp astatine Newcastle mightiness propose has returned. A beautiful counterattack by Cameron Anderson group up Sam Riley for a gallop down nan left, and different transportation later Lucas Friday recovered Cadan Murley pinch a fabulous cut-out walk for Quins’ third.
Their 4th followed successful akin fashion, early successful nan last quarter. Benson showed disconnected his attacking wares pinch a superb tally connected nan counterattack, holding nan shot up for illustration nan playmaker he is to put Will Porter over. That drew Quins level pinch 4th of an hr to play. And they were not done.
