QUINS WIN WITH WILL POWER
WILL PORTER made sure Quins’ gamble to leave out Danny Care paid off big time as the Londoners savoured arguably their greatest European win.
The scrum-half was outstanding and grabbed a brace of tries in a thrilling contest in a red-hot South West France.
Porter and his teammates shocked Bordeaux in this 12-try points-fest to reach the Champions Cup semifinals.they will face the winners of today’s Toulouse v Exeter contest.
Quins defied the odds and a hostile home crowd at Stade Changan Delmas to keep their dream of being crowned European club kings for the first time alive.
Tyrone Green’s late try, converted by Marcus Smith, proved decisive, with Maxime Lucu missing a conversion three minutes from time which would have won it for Bordeaux.
Far from melting in the heat of battle, Marcus Smith and his team-mates were on fire in the first half.
Joe Launchbury failed a late fitness test but the pumped-up visitors blasted into a 28-12 half-time lead with four fine tries.
Andre Esterhuizen burst down the left flank to set up Porter for the first.
The visitors were awarded a penalty try for Mateo Garcia’s deliberate knock-on when Smith’s pass would have put Green across for a second score.the Bordeaux No.10 was also sin-binned.
The hosts hit back as scrum-half Lucu dived over the line and full-back
Romain Buros touched down for their second try.
Quins disputed both tries but regrouped and a superb breakaway try saw Alex Dombrandt feed Porter, who caught his own chip to score.
And when flanker Will Evans crashed over for the fourth try on the stroke of half-time, Harlequins were flying.
The French side scored first in the second half, when centre Nicolas Depoortere raced over in the left corner, and Lucu’s penalty closed the gap to six points.
Again Quins responded, with Alex Dombrandt rising to claim the try after the pack drove over the line.
But Quins were soon under siege as Buros dashed down the left to put wing Louis Bielle-biarrey in for a try, then Madosh Tambwe pounced after Louis Lynagh failed to catch a kick.
Lucu’s conversion put the hosts ahead for the first time with 14 minutes remaining.
Hooker Sam Riley had a try agonisingly ruled out as he dropped the ball but then Green surged over to put Quins ahead again.
Tambwe burst down the right wing and over for a try which looked to have won the game for the hosts.
Yet Lucu sent his conversion wide and Quins players slumped to their knees at the final whistle, exhausted but also exhilarated and victorious.