Harlequins hand Exeter first defeat of league season
MIKE Brown and Danny Care shrugged off their England woe with forceful displays as Harlequins lowered Exeter’s colours for the first time in this season’s Premiership.
Dumped by Eddie Jones for the November Tests, Brown responded with a feisty, all-action 80 minutes in which he was secure under the high ball, in the opposition’s faces and a contributory factor in three Harlequins tries.
Care showed why he is no Test match write-off either in effervescent style after being dropped for the Australia game, as Quins delighted a full-house at the Stoop with their second trybonus win of the season.
Exeter had threatened to take charge during a frenetic opening quarter in which Matt Kvesic finished a trademark lineout drive before Chiefs camped ominously on the Quins line.
However, Exeter’s wastefulness frustrated boss Rob Baxter and enabled Brown and Care to inspire a comeback that, allied to impressive shifts from back rowers Jack Clifford and Alex Dombrandt, produced an opening score for James Chisholm before Nathan Earle’s try-double and a poacher’s effort from Joe Marchant subdued the Devonian visitors.
Exeter bagged four tries to claim two bonus points, but the damage had been done before Ian Whitten’s late intercept, leaving Quins captain Chisholm to declare his side are now genuine title challengers.
“The belief ’s always been there and we’ve built up a lot of momentum,” said Chisholm.
“Even though we’ve lost games we’ve picked up points every week and we still believe we can finish on top of the pile at the end of the season and compete with the best teams in this league.
“We’re really pleased with a bonus-point win at home. It’s just about being consistent.”
Chiefs will rue a tenminute spell after Kvesic’s 13th minute try when they had Quins on the ropes but failed to add to a 5-3 lead.
“We could have seized control,” lamented Baxter as uncharacteristic handling errors and impatience in the red zone conspired to offer Quins a crucial lifeline, which the home side gleefully accepted to roar into a 13-5 half-time lead.
Gainline-busting runs from Brown, Francis Saili, Joe Marler and the excellent Dave Ward provided the impetus for their first try, finished by Chisholm from a lineout after Chiefs conceded a penalty, and Saili and Brown laid on the second for Earle as the clock ran to zero.
Back came Chiefs with another lineout drive, Yeandle the recipient this time, but Quins hit back with a cracker when Brown’s grubber, facilitated by the intelligent promptings of Care, was expertly finished by Earle before Exeter replied once again through Ollie Devoto.
However, a soft penalty handed momentum back to Quins through Marcus Smith’s three-pointer and, after Care’s grubber presented Marchant with his try on 76 minutes for a 28-19 lead, Chiefs were grateful for Whitten’s late score.