Quins back to their best to maul Sharks

By ADAM HATHAWAY

Harlequins ………………….. 39pts

Tries: Care 5, Dombrandt 8, Murley 17, Lewies 42, David 51 Conversions: Smith 6, 9, 18, 52 Penalties: Smith 30, 69

Cell C Sharks ………………. 29pts

Tries: Am 1, Hendrikse 26, Etzebeth 38, Fassie 78 Conversions: Bosch 28, 39; Cronje 79 Penalties: Bosch 13

MARCUS Smith signed off at Harlequins for the next few weeks by helping them to the last 16 of the Champions Cup but this was a win built on the lesser known names in the Londoners' side.

Quins did a number on the Sharks, who arrived three from three, by sprinting to a 21-8 lead in the first 20 minutes and taking everything the South Africans threw at them in the second half.

Flanker Will Evans, who has had a wretched couple of years with injury, had a storming game winning the contest on the floor and making five crucial turnovers. He would be an England contender if he could string together a decent run of games and took the South Africans to the cleaners at the breakdown. The former Shark second row Stephan Lewies ruled the line-out in his second game of the season and Nick David lit up the attack from the back. And some of the Quins attacking moves gave a hint as to what England fans can expect during the Six Nations with Nick Evans in charge of attack under Steve Borthwick.

Crashing over: Alex Dombrandt scores the second try for Harlequins

PICTURES: Getty Images

A late score from fullback Aphelele Fassi gave the South Africans a bonus point and leaves them waiting on other results to see if they have done enough for a home tie in the knockout stages.

They also provided the purists' try of the match when Eben Etzebeth nicked the ball from Danny Care's feet at the back of a ruck and sprinted in from 50 metres to score. The locals were not happy but the great Springbok lock had spotted Joe Marler had lost his bind and took advantage.

Despite the pre-match hoopla surrounding Care and his 350th appearance for the club, which he marked by walking out first with his three children, it was Sharks who pricked the party balloon. Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am was over in the corner before the Stoop crowd had blinked after a breakout and inside ball from Thaakir Abrahams.

Touch down: Cadan Murley scores Quins' third try

That woke the hosts up and they were on the board in the fifth minute when Care marked his landmark with a trademark try, dummying over from a ruck on the Sharks line. They got a second when No.8 Alex Dombrandt crashed over centre Andre Esterhuizen, another playing against his former club, had carried into the guts of the South African defence and David fed Dombrandt. And it was three inside the first quarter as Cadan Murley, who heads into England camp this week, made the most of Smith's pick-up and another class ball from David.

Sharks were rocking but stormed back with scores from scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse and Etzebeth's score. But Lewies came round the side of a line-out to calm the Harlequins nerves and David's score, chasing his own kick from the home half, just about finished it.

That left Sharks chasing the bonus point which they thought they had when wing Marnus Potgeiter had a score chalked off. But they did the business with Fassi's score and will be a formidable proposition if they get a home tie.