But it was a typically feisty cup match. Quins started at pace and Gloucester were happy to match them, so that incident and error were magnified. An early penalty was surprisingly missed by Nick Evans although he succeeded with another attempt soon after to level the score, Burns having kicked one first for the visitors.

Then Quins produced a lovely flowing attack as Williams offloaded to Evans whose flick on found Brown.  He put Monye on a run that was halted just short of the line and when the winger threw a desperate inside ball out of the tackle it was allowed to run loose by the defence and was picked up by Hopper. A step and a swerve put the centre in for the try. Evans added the conversion and Quins took a 10 – 3 lead.

Gloucester responded emphatically and a penalty from Burns reduced the arrears despite his missing with another kick. Then from a scrum inside the Quins’ twenty-two Gloucester fashioned a flowing attack that put James Simpson-Daniel, aided by a missed tackle from Hopper, across for a try. The conversion attempt from Burns hit the post, but the lead was overturned as the visitors led 10 – 11.

The unusual sight of a second missed penalty from Evans did nothing to settle the apprehensions of the Harlequin supporter with the recent memory of Clegg’s nightmare at Exeter still fresh as the interval arrived without further score.  When he missed a third time early in the second half, apprehensions grew.

Quins retook the lead when Evans succeeded with a penalty kick only for Burns to respond with another successful penalty.  The score was 13 - 14,  Burns had the opportunity to extend the visitors’ lead, but his kick slewed wide.

Then came the most significant passage of the match. A fine break from Hopper put Care on a run towards the posts and when the scrum-half tried to chip over Johnny May, the full back was forced to carry over his own line. The five-metre scrum that followed produced a penalty but Robshaw made the call for another scrum.  With the Gloucester pack under immense pressure, another penalty was awarded to Quins and a yellow card to the Gloucester loose-head prop, Nick Wood.

Once again Quins called for a scrum and when the ball was kicked out of a wheeling scrimmage Care gathered and crossed.  The “try” was not allowed on the basis that Care was in an offside position, despite the strong suspicion that the kick was from a Gloucester boot. The immediate pressure on the visitors relaxed as they cleared to touch. 

But again Quins managed to turn over possession following the lineout and mounted another attack. Care kicked through the defence and Mike Brown won the chase for a try wide out on the left.  When Evans duly slotted the most difficult of conversions, Quins led by 20 -14 with a difficult five minutes remaining to win the match.

Gloucester threw everything they could at Quins but the defence stood firm. Then, with Gloucester having an attacking scrum, the Quins pack responded and gained a penalty. The visitors mounted another attack, but a knock on ended it.  The quarter-final was still a possibility.

After the match a relieved Conor O’Shea told the press, “We have a saying on the board (in the dressing-room) 'live by the sword, die by the sword'. It hasn't cost us and we can learn from winning rather than learn from losing. This time last year we would probably have lost that game.

"We are enjoying learning what it is like every week to play at this level, with a heck of a lot on the line every time you go out there. Teams only get used to that by playing matches when you have everything to lose.

"We go into the last round of the Heineken Cup with an opportunity to go through. I know what Connacht are like down there. We will have to be at our best to win. We are in with a chance”

Harlequins M Brown; T Williams, M Hopper, J Turner-Hall, U Monye; N Evans, D Care; M Lambert (J Marler, 50), J Gray (C Brooker, 50), J Johnston, O Kohn, C Matthews (T Vallejos, 56), M Fa'asavalu, N Easter, C Robshaw (capt).

Gloucester J May; C Sharples, M Tindall, E Fuimaono-Sapolu, J Simpson-Daniel; F Burns, R Lawson (D Lewis, 71); N Wood, S Lawson (D Dawidiuk, 67), D Chistolini (R Harden, 49), J Hamilton, A Brown (W James, 69), A Strokosch, L Narraway (capt); M Cox, 75), A Qera (D Murphy 69-76).

Referee P Gaüzère (France)

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