Harlequins 29-14 Northampton Saints: Sean Kerr takes chance to shine on centre stage

Sean Kerr was the centre of attention as Harlequins served up a five-try beating to the league champions and made it two out of two in the Prem Cup.

Midfielder Kerr, 21, a Junior World Cup winner in 2024, was the star man on both sides of the ball scoring one cracking try, making another and making his presence felt in defence.

Josh Bellamy scored the game-clinching fifth try for Harlequins with four minutes left and crowned a return of 24 unanswered points in 41 minutes.

The fly-half ‘s stunner, picking up possession well into his own half, which saw him run through with almost all the Saints team in front of him finished it.

Talent

Quins were down to 14 men for last 14 minutes because of injuries to replacements Sean Sharp and Alfie Bowman, but their defence held firm.

Northampton will be kicking themselves over a couple of missed chances but this was Kerr’s day to shine and he did.

“He has pace and what he can do with the ball is outstanding. He is a great talent,” said Harlequins Australian head coach Jason Gilmore.

Saints had sent an experimental side out against Saracens last week, following a pre-season tour to Sri Lanka, and were duly walloped 96-42 at the StoneX. But they had a few experienced heads returning here.

For Harlequins last season could not finish fast enough as they slumped to ninth in the league and missed out on the Champions Cup.

The sight of George Furbank, their new signing and a former Saint, sitting in the stands next to Marcus Smith and performance consultant Robbie Deans might have encouraged Harlequins fans things can only get better.

Match action

But with one Prem Cup game under the belt for each side there was always going to be a bit of ring rust and so it proved in a first period which ended with Northampton two points to the good.

With their organiser in chief, Fraser Dingwall, on the pitch Northampton had scored two tries before the break, one for Toby Thame when the captain supplied the scoring pass.

He was taken off at half-time in a tactical switch.

But it was Quins who had drawn first blood when prop Will Hobson crashed over after a series of pick and drives to score one of the most un-Harlequins-like tries you are ever likely to see on eight minutes.

Flanker Tom Pearson grabbed the lead when he scored from short range and when Thame went over the Saints advantage had stretched to 14-5.

Kerr then scored an outstanding try when he picked the ball up near the Saints 22 and with one step beat prop Cleopas Kundiona, after spotting the mismatch.

He then outpaced hooker Craig Wright to score and make it a two-point game.

Second half

On 44 minutes Northampton thought they had regained the lead but Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, who had stretched over the line to finish well, saw his try chalked off for a push on Will Evans earlier in the move.

That took the wind out of Saints sails and when scrum-half Stu Townsend scampered over after a show-and-go had flatfooted their defence, they were further deflated.

And wing Cameron Anderson with a strong fend, after a superb step and pass from Kerr, increased the lead to eight points and grabbed the bonus, and Bellamy sealed it.

Saints boss Phil Dowson said: “We have had a good look at lot over very high quality young players who are learning what it is like to play at this level.”