Match Report: Harlequins 24 – 22 Exeter Chiefs

Harlequins took victory over a fierce Exeter Chiefs side in London on Sunday afternoon in the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership.

With three tries and a penalty apiece, the scoreline at the Stoop came down to one missed conversion from Chiefs as the home side took a two-point win.

An overlap in the Chiefs 22 put Quins on the front-foot within three minutes of kick-off. Cadam Murley took advantage as he collected a spin pass on the edge to dart in at the corner for the try. Marcus Smith added the conversion to start his day at the tee on a positive note.

With 14 minutes played, Chiefs were reduced to 14 men when centre Tamati Tua was shown a yellow card for a high hit on number eight Alex Dombradt.

While a lot of the attention on the day was on Danny Care and his last home game, it was Quins’ starting scrum half Will Porter who scored their second try.

As Chiefs were consumed defending the maul, Porter snuck the ball off the back of the set to snipe across the line. Smith’s conversion made it the full seven points.

Chiefs got on the board from the restart. A galloping Josh Hodge broke through, pulling in Tommy Wyatt on the wing with a perfectly timed pass. The returning Wyatt was torn down inches short of the line, but with the advantage in Chiefs’ favour, Rusi Tuima forced his way over for the try.

Henry Slade added the conversion to further close the gap.

From an assist to a try-scorer himself, Wyatt got Chiefs second before the half was through. In much the same fashion as the Londoners, the Devon side’s score came when Wyatt snuck his way through at the side of the ruck at the line.

Slade’s conversion attempt pulled off-course, meaning while the two sides sat on two tries apiece, Quins held a two-point lead running in for the break.

Half-time: Quins 14 – 12 Chiefs

Chiefs struck first in the second half. Realising there was a two-on-one in front of him, Tuima charged through a gap to carry deep into Quins’ half. Playing ball through the phases across field, Wyatt carved his way through the defence with Stu Townsend on his shoulder.

The Chiefs scrum half took the pass to score five points with Slade soon adding another two.

As the clock struck an hour played, Quins re-took the lead. Looking for space in the Chiefs 22, Smith found a soft shoulder and burst through the line to run in a solo try which he converted himself.

Ultimately, the encounter came down to the narrowest of margins and a penalty score from both sides. First up was Slade who kicked Chiefs ahead before, on 70 minutes, Smith reclaimed the lead for Quins.

Chiefs looked to be striking back in the closing minutes but errors at the breakdown cost them. To cries of ‘Danny, Danny Care’, the men in quarters were able to kick the ball dead and send their talisman out of his last home game on a win.

While they drew up short, it was a marked improvement in performance from Rob Baxter’s men who have just one game left of their 2024/25 season.

Full-time: Quins 24 – 22 Chiefs

Harlequins: T Green; R Isgro (David 68’), O Beard (Kerr 59’), B Waghorn, C Murley; M Smith, W Porter (Care 64’); F Baxter (Els 74’), J Walker (Riley 53’), T Lamositele (Streeter 68’), J Green (Launchbury 53’), G Hammond, J Kenningham, W Evans (Lawday 55’), A Dombrandt (c).

Tries: Murley, Porter, Smith Conversions: Smith 2 Penalties: Smith

Chiefs: J Hodge; T Wyatt, H Slade, T Tua, P Brown-Bampoe; H Skinner, S Townsend (Cairns 63’); K Blose (Keast 61’, Blose 64’, Keast 74’), J Yeandle (Frost 61’), J Iosefa-Scott (Street 50’), R Tuima (Tshiunza 61’), D Jenkins, J Vermeulen (Moloney 59’), R Capstick, E Roots.

Replacements: Haydon-Wood, Lilley

Tries: Tuima, Wyatt, Townsend Conversions: Slade 2 Penalties: Slade

Yellow card: Tamati Tua

Referee: Joe James