Harlequins 54-26 Newcastle: Eight-try Quins tune up for their Bear hunt

NICK Evans is confident Quins can cause a major upset when they enter the Bears' backyard next weekend after seeing them give Falcons an eighttry thumping at The Stoop.

The attack coach, who played in the club's sole Premiership title success in 2012, is relishing another fight with Bristol who have beaten the Londoners twice this season.

While Bristol enjoyed a restful weekend with their game called off due to London Irish's positive Covid results, Quins bared their teeth with an eighttry thumping of Falcons.

Evans warned his semifinal opponents insisting: “We feel we have the game to cause them problems. Both teams enjoy playing attacking rugby and hopefully it will be another nice sunny dry day for that.

“We could easily have won at their place so the team will go there with no hang ups. Having been in this position before when we won the title, it will be about being brave and just trying to do the same things that got us to the semis and not over do things or try to reinvent the wheel.”

Evans denied team selection would have been different had Quins known earlier than just a few hours before kick off that Bristol would be finishing top of the table and facing them due to their game with London Irish being cancelled because of Covid.

Danny Care was at his dynamic best, inspiring the side and grabbing a brace of tries. The 34-year-old scrum-half, over-looked by Warren Gatland for his South Africa-bound Lions and unlikely to get a belated call up by Eddie Jones for England's summer campaign, will be pivotal to Quins' title hopes.

Quins surged into a 28-12 half-time lead with Care and England fly-half prospect Marcus Smith running the show, and No.8 Alex Dombrandt in barnstorming form.

Dombrandt produced a trademark charge up the middle and slipped the ball to fellow flanker Jack Kenningham to stroll over untouched. Smith converted but Falcons struck back immediately with their first attack as hooker George McGuigan scored from a maul.

Dombrandt turned provider again as he picked the ball up from the back of a scrum ten metres out and fed Care who had darted around the back.

Falcons and McGuigan responded instantly once more as the hooker dived over for his second try from close range.

Care rounded off another flying move down the left flank involving Joe Marchant and Aaron Morris before Care cantered across.

Smith converted and repeated the act when fullback Tyrone Green swooped across for the bonus point try.

Wing Louis Lynagh raced over down the left for the next Quins try before Falcons lost centre Luther Burrell to a head injury.

Exciting young wing Adam Radwan showed why Eddie Jones has named him in his preliminary squad with a brilliant try, picking up the ball just inside his own half and scything his way past a posse of Quins.

Centre Marchant darted over for another Harlequins try while Falcons replacement hooker Jamie Blamire celebrated his England call up by powering his way over from close range.

But Quins were not finished. First replacement Martin Landago touched down after a Kenningham kick through and then replacement hooker Joe Gray charged over.