Top 5 Most Iconic Harlequins 'Big Game' Moments in Allianz Stadium History

Going into its 17th edition this year, let’s take a look back at some of the most iconic games to have ever been played on the day every year.

Making history as the first women’s match to have been played at the event, Harlequins welcomed Leinster to Twickenham after the men’s fixture against Leicester Tigers in 2019.

The hosts scored seven tries: including a hattrick from Jess Breach. Leinster still played with intent, crossing the line multiple times in the game. The women’s side have featured at the Big Game every year since, marking this day as one of the most important in Harlequins history.

The first Big Game brought Leicester Tigers to HQ in front of a 50,000 crowd, a Premiership record at the time. Nick Evans scored three penalties to Toby Flood’s one, to put Harlequins 9-3 up. Then the floodgates opened for Leicester: Johne Murphy and Tom Croft with two converted tries, as well as two more penalties from Flood had Leicester winning 23-9.

Mike Brown replied quickly, Evans converted before sharing a penalty each with Flood. Ugo Monye scored very late, leaving Evans to score the conversion to equalise. An incredible fixture for the first Big Game, and it’s easy to see why Harlequins kept coming back for more.

Harlequins went into this London Derby edition of their showpiece fixture having won all ten of their Premiership games so far that season. A world-record 82,000 spectators watched Harlequins and Saracens tussle away in the first half, all the points scored before the break as a series of chances went begging to make the difference towards the end of the game.

Quins would lose their first game of the season, as they slipped to second in the table, but it would be only one of four losses that year, finishing top and going on to win their first ever Premiership that season.

Still with the most points Harlequins scored at a Big Game, they decimated poorly-performing Northampton, who had only won one in 12 going into the match.

Tim Visser and Danny Care both scored twice, with Dave Ward, Charlie Walker and Matt Luamanu making it seven for the hosts. A baby-faced Marcus Smith featured in his first Big Game, kicking six conversions and a penalty.

In what was a measly season for the Londoners, this was one of the happier days of the 2017-18 season, being their sixth win of the season. Unfortunately, this would be as good as it got, only winning one more Premiership game all season as they finished tenth.

Three Big Game encounters with the Tigers, and three draws as a result. In a complete full circle moment, it was a late Leicester Tigers conversion that shared the spoils, in contrast to Big Game 1’s Harlequins comeback.

The first half saw the lead change hands multiple times, with Harlequins going into the break just a single point up. Cadan Murley scored in the 68th minute, which looked to have won the game for Harlequins.

However, the eternal Dan Cole came on to score late, setting up Handre Pollard’s last minute conversion to share the points between the two sides.