Harlequins battled to their first victory at Sandy Park in 10 years, defeating Exeter Chiefs 36-19 on Sunday afternoon, as the Chiefs’ losing run continued.
By George Davis
As expected, Quins started the stronger of the two, with Lennox Anyanwu pulling the strings in midfield. He nearly put Will Evans in the corner, if not for a crucial tackle by Will Rigg.
Opportunities started to come thick and fast for the Londoners. Tyrone Green sliced through the Chiefs’ defense on a counter-attack, finding Oscar Beard cantering up on his shoulder. However, Beard couldn’t connect with Cadan Murley, and the move broke down.
Quins soon finished what they started. Will Evans burst through a gap, though he opted not to pass to Will Porter. With the ball recycled, Jarrod Evans threw a clever dummy that wrong-footed a Chiefs defender, allowing Beard to slide through and score.
Despite being battered, the Chiefs fought back midway through the first half. Olly Woodburn exploited a gap in Quins’ defense, offloading to Ross Vintcent, who slid over the line to keep the home side in contention.
The one-way traffic soon resumed as Harlequins went wide after a lineout, finding Rodrigo Isgro, who powered through Woodburn to score, pushing the Londoners two tries up.
The men in quartered jerseys could have scored again soon after. Anyanwu produced a brilliant break through heavy traffic, and after a few phases, Jack Kenningham was held up by a determined Exeter defense.
Will Evans eventually got on the scoreboard, benefitting from a neat pass from his flanker partner, Kenningham, and raced over the line to score.
Exeter, still in the game despite the one-sided first half, showed resilience as Rigg powered over for a crucial try to keep Rob Baxter’s side in contention.
The second half began at a fast pace, with Harlequins struggling to gather themselves from the restart. Paul Brown-Bampoe nearly scored for the Chiefs, but Tyrone Green’s tackle saved a certain try.
Quins soon found their rhythm again, and Will Evans grabbed his second try in opportunistic fashion. After the ball ricocheted off James Chisholm’s shin, Evans pounced, capitalizing on a moment of confusion in the Exeter ranks.
Rob Baxter’s side, still winless this season, found a glimmer of hope when Josh Hodge drew his defender and offloaded to Ben Hammersley for a score. Though a forward pass was suspected, the try was allowed, bringing the Chiefs back into contention.
However, Jarrod Evans slotted over a penalty to extend Quins’ lead to 10 points. Danny Care then sealed the win, switching play down the sideline and kicking through for captain Cadan Murley to score, capping off a memorable afternoon for Harlequins at Sandy Park.
Five talking points:
Slade to Start for England?
Henry Slade played 54 minutes on Sunday after being released back to Devon by Steve Borthwick and produced a fairly accomplished performance. The centre kicked well from the tee and hand, and showed strong defensive skills, doing enough for him to start next week in my books!
Rodrigo Isgro on Fire
Three in two for the former World 7s Player of the Year, who could have had an assist if not for a forward pass today. The winger’s electricity with ball in hand, combined with his power and aerial skills, makes him one to watch – absolutely unstoppable right now.
No Win in Six for Chiefs
Exeter are yet to win this season after losing their first six games, marking their worst losing run since 2015. Bonus points are the only thing keeping them off the bottom of the table after Newcastle’s maiden win last week. Rob Baxter has a big task ahead to turn things around.
Harlequins Defence Still Shaky?
Jason Gilmore has made strides in improving the Quins defence, but they’re far from the finished product. On Sunday, gaps appeared too often, and missed tackles cost them. The signs are promising, but it’s clear that work remains to be done.
Captain Cadan Murley
It was Murley’s first start as captain, stepping up in Alex Dombrandt’s absence and securing a try with an inspiring performance. Not many would have expected him as vice-captain at the season’s start, but he’s proving doubters wrong with each game.
Exeter Chiefs:
- Scott Sio (C), 2. Dan Frost, 3. Ehren Painter, 4. Franco Molina, 5. Richard Capstick, 6. Ross Vintcent, 7. Jacques Vermeulen, 8. Greg Fisilau, 9. Will Becconshal, 10. Will Haydon-Wood, 11. Paul Brown-Bampoe, 12. Will Rigg, 13. Henry Slade, 14. Olly Woodburn, 15. Josh Hodge.
Substitutes: 16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18. Marcus Street, 19. Rus Tuima, 20. Ethan Roots, 21. Stu Townsend, 22. Harvey Skinner, 23. Ben Hammersley
Exeter Chiefs Scoring:
- Tries: Ross Vintcent (16’), Will Rigg (36’), Josh Hodge (57’)
- Conversions: Henry Slade (17’, 36’)
Harlequins:
- Jordan Els, 2. Jack Walker, 3. Titi Lamositele, 4. Irne Herbst, 5. Stephan Lewies, 6. Jack Kenningham, 7. Will Evans, 8. James Chisholm, 9. Will Porter, 10. Jarrod Evans, 11. Cadan Murley (C), 12. Lennox Anyanwu, 13. Oscar Beard, 14. Rodrigo Isgro, 15. Tyrone Green.
Substitutes: 16. Nathan Jibulu, 17. Wyn Jones, 18. Simon Kerrod, 19. Joe Launchbury, 20. Tom Lawday, 21. Danny Care, 22. Jamie Benson, 23. Nick David
Harlequins Scoring:
- Tries: Oscar Beard (14’), Rodrigo Isgro (20’), Will Evans (25’, 52’), Cadan Murley (78’)
- Conversions: Jarrod Evans (21’, 24’, 55’)
- Penalties: Jarrod Evans (66’)
