Andre the giant is Quins’ hero
HARLEQUINS bosstabai Matson reckons his team passed their toughest test of the season by downing leaders Leicester and taking another step towards the play-offs. Giant South African centre Andre Esterhuizen put in a power-packed display and scored the game-breaking try to send the Stoop wild.
Knocked out of Europe last weekend by Montpellier, reigning champions Quins proved they are not going to give their domestic title up without a scrap.
The win puts Quins level on points with Saracens and keeps their prospects of having a semi-final back here at the
Stoop well and truly alive.
Will Collier and Cadan Murley scored for Quins either side of Nemani Nadolo and Hanro Liebenberg’s tries as the hosts led narrowly at half-time.
Jasper Wiese’s try edged Tigers into a 17-15 lead shortly before the hour.
Esterhuizen’s 74th-minute score snatched the lead back after Freddie Burns had nailed a penalty after taking over the kicking from George Ford. Marcus Smith’s late penalty sealed the deal.
And Matson insisted his side passed a stern test against the best team in the league.
He said: “You have to respect them for what they do.they won 17 games and they’ve set the way because they’re just so consistent.
“Even today they were leading with a few minutes left and they just showed how difficult they are to put away.”
Leicester are still fighting on three fronts – the league, the Premiership and the Champions Cup where they face Leinster in the quarter-finals on May 7. Stuart Lancaster, the former England boss, who is now at the Irish province was at the ground on a spying mission.
It is a far cry from two years ago when Tigers nearly went down.
Boss Steve Borthwick said: “If you go back 18 months could you have possibly imagined Leicester would be in this position?”
Northampton stayed on course for the play-offs after staging a remarkable second-half fightback to beat Bath 36-31.
Saints, who trailed 31-12 with 20 minutes to go, won as tries from Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman, plus a 76th-minute penalty try, hauled them level before substitute hooker Mike Haywood touched down in the final act of a gripping game.
Wasps secured an eighth successive home victory in all competitions with a
41-12 win over Worcester.