Marcus and his giant mate settle a thriller

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER

Harlequins ……..14pts

Tries: Northmore 3, Esterhuizen 78

Conversions: Smith 4, 79

Exeter …………….12pts

Tries: Slade 32, Innard 65

Conversions: J Simmonds 33

QUINS and Exeter rarely disappoint when they lock horns and this was another minor classic with Marcus Smith and Andre Esterhuizen combining at the death to see the reigning champions home at a soaking Stoop.

With time running out, Smith, for the fourth time in the game unleashed one of his devastating cross field kick passes into the wide and this time the receiver– the big Boks centre – was able to catch, gather, sprint and score.

Even then it wasn't over. Smith faced a testing right footed touchline conversion but the young fly-half was born for such moments and although initially he seemed to set it out wide his kick drifted in and bounced over via the inside of the post.

Even then there was work to do with Quins spilling the restart allowing Chiefs an attacking scrum.

Patiently they trucked it up, perhaps looking for a dropped goal from the excellent Joe Simmonds but before they reached that moment that man Estherhuizen reached in and muscled his way to another invaluable turnover. Most valuable overseas player in the Premiership? And some.

For Exeter it was tough to take. They were down to 14 men and that was entirely their own doing but how those 14 played in the second half, first resisting for close on 20 minutes and then going straight up field to rumble over for a try from Jack Innard that so easily could have proved to be the winner.

Despite the poor condition both sides were in positive mode from the off and it was Luke Northmore – another of Cardiff Metro's finest – who saw Quins strike first in the third minute with an opportunist effort.

Joe Marchant had taken the ball in some ten yards out from the line but was comfortably wrapped up by the Exeter defence which then succeeded in ripping the ball clear.

Accurate: Marcus Smith of Harlequins kicks the last minute, match winning, conversion

PICTURES: Getty Images

Unfortunately for them it fell to the ground away from the melee for Northmore to simply kick through and touch down with such ease that you assumed there must have been an offence. There wasn't.

Exeter's opening try came after a sustained 22 phase attack and owed much to a clever pass from Joe Simmonds prone on the ground to Henry Slade who looped round to take Tyrone Green by surprise. Simmonds nonchalantly added the very difficult conversion.

Play seemed to be counting down to half-time when the red card incident occurred.

Sam Simmonds steamed in with a leg lift to try and attempt to clear out Joe Marler and was immediately joined by Alec Hepburn who grabbed and lifted Marler's other leg and then flung him violently to ground. Shades of Brian O'Driscoll 2005.

It was the clearest red of the season thus far and the only question was whether Simmonds would cop a yellow for initiating the incident. Referee Ian Tempest chose leniency and in fairness Simmonds, after lifting Marler's leg, whipped it around to the side rather than further upwards.

As for Hepburn he and Marler had been exchanging ‘pleasantries' all afternoon but something had been simmering from the opening minutes when the Exeter prop sat on Marler at a ruck, pinning him to the ground preventing him from rejoining play.

Such horseplay rarely ends well, a tough lesson for the normally law-abiding Hepburn.

Bundle: Exeter celebrate as Jack Innard scores