Harlequins…….19pts
Tries: Murley 68, 79; Care 80+2
Conversions: Smith 69, 80+3
Leicester Tigers..27pts
Tries: Reffell 8, 53; Montoya 33, Watson 76
Conversions: Burns 34, 77
Penalties: Burns 72
By Nick Powell, Digital Editor
Tommy Reffell's brace helped Leicester Tigers bury back-to-back defeats with a dominant win at Harlequins.
Reffell was also an integral part of a mean Leicester defensive performance, as they jackled Quins into submission on a chastening day for the hosts.
His double, either side of a Julian Montoya try from a maul, took Tigers out to a 17-0 lead, which they held until the 68th minute.
Quins finally scored through Cadan Murley, but Leicester wrapped the game up with a Freddie Burns penalty and Anthony Watson intercept try, as the hosts chased the game late on.
And though Quins managed to add two consolation scores as Murley grabbed another and was instrumental to Danny Care's overtime finish, the 2021 champions failed to come away with a bonus point, while the top team from last season took all five at the Stoop. Click here for the top streaming sports in the UK.
Tigers coach Steve Borthwick said: “The players worked exceptionally hard and I'm proud of them. It was a step in the right direction but there's plenty to work on still.
“The squad hasn't been together very much and that does enable you to build some cohesion.
“We been faced with some challenges over a short period of time already this season and what we've got to do is continue to keep facing those challenges and get better.”
Clueless Quins struggle for answers
For 78 and a half minutes, Quins simply couldn't break down the Tigers defence.
Backs moves off the set piece proved fruitful, with Luke Northmore scoring a disallowed try from a line-out in the first half and Murley giving them a slither of hope from a scrum in the second, but in conventional attack they could never string enough front-foot phases to trouble the visitors.
Defensively Quins were below par too, failing to identify two clear opportunities for Tigers to change the point of the attack and score in the left corner; Reffell was the beneficiary on both occasions.
While Leicester adapted to how the match situation and referee's interpretation at the ruck was progressing, Quins continually fell into the same traps laid for them by Tigers, who were good value for their win.
Quins did deserve their two late scores, if only for the effort they had put in, with the first being finished by Murley from their only decent set of attacking phases in the match.
The second came after Leicester botched a good attacking position as they sought to take their score past 30, with Murley intercepting before being hauled down, before Care was there to add a finishing touch soon after.
But with Quins coming away from the contest pointless, and their fellow play-off contenders taking the full five, the tries did little to improve a miserable day.
Tigers dismiss “losing run” with aplomb
Losing only two games in consecutive weeks to the top two teams in the table is hardly a losing run, but many feared for Tigers after they were outplayed by Saracens and well-beaten by Sale Sharks at home.
They were not perfect at the Stoop, and were probably somewhat fortunate to have a 20-point lead with two minutes on the clock, but Leicester more closely resembled the title-winning side they were last season than they ever have so far this campaign.
After Reffell's smart blindside finish and Montoya broke from a maul to give them a 12-0 lead, they neutered any hopes of a typical Quins comeback with their continued dominance at the ruck in the third quarter.
Once Reffell grabbed another, as Leicester clinically put away one of their few second-half chances, it looked as if they might impose a humiliating scoreline on the Londoners.
As it transpired, Quins were brighter than they had ever been in the final quarter, but immediately after Murley pulled one back, Tigers were back in charge as Burns knocked over a match-sealing penalty.
Quins had lost all shape by the time Watson snatched his interception, and though Borthwick will undoubtedly be disappointed by Quins' final two scores, he can come away knowing his team is firmly back on track.
Harlequins: Green 7 (David 56, 6), Marchant 7, Northmore 6 (Allan 65, 7), Esterhuizen 6, Murley 8, Smith 6, Care 6; Marler (c) 6, (Botta 77), Musk 6 (Riley 66, 5), Louw 7 (Kerrod 57, 5), Lamb 5, Herbst 7 (Hammond 70, 5), Keningham 7, Evans 6, White 6 (Jurevicius 56, 5). Not used: Gjatelma
Leicester Tigers: Steward 6, Ashton 5 (Nadolo 13, 6), Potter 6, Scott 8, Watson 7, Burns 7 (Gopperth 77), B Youngs 6 (Van Poortvliet 50, 7), Cronin 6 (Van Wyk 50, 7), Montoya 8 (Clare 73), Cole 7 (Heyes 59, 6), Wells 7, Green 5 (Henderson 51, 6), Liebenberg 7, Reffell 8, Wiese 7 (Cracknell 63, 6)
Star Man: Tommy Reffell, (Leicester)
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