By Alanquin
September 23 2012

The Premiership Champions came to Welford Road and for the second year in succession emerged as victors over a Leicester Tigers side, strangely lacking the  penetration and power that is their hallmark, this time by 9 – 22.

With a performance of passionate commitment and belief in their game and their ability, Harlequins started at pace with the ball passing through the hands of almost every member of their team in the first three minutes of the match.  Then a fortunate boot extracted the ball from a ruck, turning over possession and allowing the Tigers’ winger, Morris, to break away down the right touchline.  He was stopped ten metres short of the line by a fine tackle from Hopper, but then followed a series of determined attacks from the Tigers who scented blood. Fine defence held them out but conceded a penalty in front of the posts. Flood duly opened the scoring.

Then a penalty to Quins at a scrum gave Evans the opportunity to equalise the score although Flood extended the Tigers’ lead to 6 - 3 a couple of minutes later with a similar penalty.

Harlequins continued their fast moving off-loading game and a perfect offload out of the tackle from Evans to Robson and on to Tom Williams saw the winger run in under the posts for the try, pulling a hamstring in the process and being replaced by Chisholm.  Evans added the simple conversion and Quins led for the first time 6 – 10 after twenty-three minutes.

Another penalty at a scrum on the Quins twenty-two saw Evans’ kick take play to a lineout on the Tigers’ twenty-two.  A penalty advantage in favour of Quins was being played when Danny Care kicked an impudent but successful drop goal to extend the lead still further at     6 - 13.

As the first half drew to a close, Flood missed a kickable penalty and Evans hit the post with a similar opportunity.  Tigers mounted a final frenzied attack but failed to alter the score before the interval.

The anticipated onslaught from Tigers to open the second half did not materialise and when Mike Brown, chasing a loose ball to the corner was impeded by Salvi, the Television Match Official deemed a penalty appropriate rather than a penalty try..  Another penalty a couple of minutes later saw Evans extend Quins’ lead further to 6 – 16 and Tigers sent for the cavalry, bringing on new props in the shape of Cole and Mulipola and replacing Salvi with Waldrom.

But injuries continued to dog the Quins’ backs as first Turner-Hall, with a damaged shoulder, and later Chisholm, following a massive try-saving tackle on Mulipola, went off injured.  Flood scored a third penalty, but that ended Tigers’ scoring.  Despite a series of five metre lineouts and penalties for pulling down mauls, Quins held firm and their line was never crossed.

Two more penalty kicks from Nick Evans extended the lead still further during the final minutes and a Tigers’ last powerful attempt to salvage a bonus point was successfully resisted when Mulipola was held a few inches short of the line. Despite further penalties conceded Quins held firm for an Herculean victory.

Afterwards a jubilant Conor O’Shea was profuse in his praise of the commitment and determination of his team saying, "Any time you come to Leicester and get a win is exceptional. In the first half we showed we were a pretty good rugby side, in the second we showed the heart you need to be a great rugby side.

"It's only four games in 22 and next week we play Saracens, but I could not be prouder of the guys because they put the effort in and showed a willingness to play. We know we need to be more clinical but it is early doors and we are happy with how we are progressing."

Leicester: Hamilton, Morris, Smith, Allen, Goneva, Flood, Harrison, Stankovich, T. Youngs, Castrogiovanni, Kitchener, Parling, Mafi, Salvi, Crane.

Replacements: Thompstone for Morris (74), Phibbs for Harrison (74), Mulipola for Stankovich (47), Cole for Castrogiovanni (47), Waldrom for Mafi (47), Chuter, Andrew, Ford.

Harlequins: Brown, Williams, Hopper, Turner-Hall, Monye, Evans, Care, Marler, Gray, Johnston, Kohn, Robson, Fa'asavalu, Robshaw, Easter, Chisholm.

Replacements: Chisholm for Williams (20), Clegg for Turner-Hall (48), Buchanan for Gray (78), Guest for Fa'asavalu (55), Dickson for Chisholm (62), Collier, Matthews, Marfo.

Attendance: 20,354.

Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU).