Harlequins……………………. 21pts
Tries: Care 7, 37; Lamb 14 Conversions: Allan 8, 15, 37
Gloucester……………………. 12pts
Tries: Morgan 21, Socino 34 Conversions: Carreras 22
Danny Care's try double helped Harlequins see off Gloucester in a crucial top-four battle at The Stoop on Friday night.
Quins started at an impressive pace, scoring twice in the opening quarter of an hour through Care and Dino Lamb, but Gloucester dominated the next 20 minutes and deservedly crossed themselves through Santi Socino and Ben Morgan.
Care's second, which came after Quins had broken through after an incisive inside ball from Jack Walker to Alex Dombrandt, put them nine points ahead at half-time and that is how it stayed as neither side scored in a tame second-half.
Quins boss Tabai Matson said: “It was a hard earned win. At times they had a lot of momentum and we managed to defend really well. We seemed to repel them just enough when they were in our 22.
“We knew it was going to come down to our maul defence and taking a couple of opportunities which we did.”
Quins No.8 Dombrandt was proud of his side's ability to mix up their style of play against a fellow top four contender.
He said: “We spoke in the huddle after the game and it was a pretty gritty game. It's good for a team like us that like to throw the ball around to also be gritty and have a good defensive line. I'm proud of the lads as it's great to get four points against really good opposition.”
Quins looked sharp in their opening salvo and Care's clever finish from the back of a driving maul put them in front. As the penalty count piled up, impressive hands from the Quins forwards brought a second try for Lamb who lunged over from a metre out.
Quins offered little in the way of an attacking threat in the next 20 minutes but defended significantly better than the Cherry and Whites had earlier on. Gloucester's reliable maul did eventually bring them their two scores though.
When Gloucester finally broke inside the Quins 22 they repeatedly chose to kick to the corner rather than the posts and were finally rewarded at the third time of asking when Morgan scored following a set piece. Debutant fly-half Santiago Carreras added the conversion.
Jake Morris came within inches of the line for their second only for Nick David to make a try-saving tackle, before Soccino crashed over from a maul to bring Gloucester within touching distance
Care's second just before half-time – which saw the best build-up play of any of the five first-half scores with slick passing up the pitch through Dombrandt and Caden Murley – proved to be the final score as both sides failed to fire in the second half.
Morris came closest for Gloucester, snatching an interception inside his own 22 before darting down the pitch, only to be tackled again by David.
Louis Rees-Zammit stopped Murley to deny the hosts a try-scoring bonus point late on, and worryingly for Gloucester the Wales winger had to be helped off following an injury just before fulltime, as they finished the game with 14 players.
Gloucester failed to get a bonus point after turning down a simple shot at goal with six minutes left, and stay sixth after a third defeat in a row, while a third win on the bounce for Quins lifts them to third.
CLOSE-UP
CADAN MURLEY
Harlequins winger
V
LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT
Gloucester winger
These young speedsters weren't always on the same side of the field, but both teams brought their wingers into play as much as they could although neither side's attack fired like usual. Murley broke though near the end, but Rees-Zammit managed to get back to tackle him and dislodge the ball before limping off with an injury in the final minutes.
