By Suzi Garforth
European success did not translate into domestic momentum for Harlequins. Fresh from a memorable Champions Cup victory away at La Rochelle, a result that helped Leicester secure a place in the last 16 by denying the French side a bonus point, Quins were unable to carry that form into the Premiership, as the Tigers showed no signs of repaying the favour.
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An early penalty advantage from the lineout saw Leicester work the ball across the line through multiple phases. The move was eventually brought back after Freddie Steward was penalised for a knock-on, allowing Marcus Smith to clear for Quins.
Leicester then thought they had opened the scoring when Hassell-Collins appeared to touch down, but an earlier forward pass meant play was brought back for a scrum penalty just five metres out from the Quins’ try line. From the resulting pressure, a pile-up near the whitewash was offloaded wide to Gabriel Hamer-Webb, who finished well in the corner to open the scoring. Searle converted.
Quins responded with some sharp line play, as Cadan Murley burst through the middle before offloading into space. However, the pass missed the hands of Luke Northmore and was kicked dead by Leicester, allowing the visitors to escape and denying Quins the chance to level the score.
Leicester soon struck again with a superb try. From a lineout, Charlie Clare offloaded to Jack van Poortvliet, who kicked ahead over the defensive line, regathered, and weaved through the likes of Murley in defence to touch down between the posts. Searle added the extras.
Quins again found themselves attacking close to the Leicester try line, building through multiple phases, but a knock-on brought play back for another penalty advantage lineout. A strong Tigers defensive wall forced Quins to shift laterally, eventually exposing an unguarded ruck where Tommy Reffell pounced to win the turnover and clear the danger.
Just before half-time, Nick David was shown a yellow card for a high tackle. Leicester looked to take advantage of the extra man by moving the ball wide, but Quins managed to disrupt and clear before the Tigers could extend their lead.
Half-time: Harlequins 0 – 17 Leicester Tigers
Leicester made a fast start to the second half, eager to protect and build on their lead. A chipped kick from Orlando Bailey was chased by Hassell-Collins in a foot race with Marcus Smith, but the ball ran dead over the dead-ball line.
Quins looked to respond through Murley, who chipped into space and chased hard to force a penalty inside the Leicester 22. Following a penalty lineout, a powerful Tigers pack halted Quins’ best attempt at a rolling maul. However, repeated offside infringements kept the hosts camped in the 22, but the opportunity went begging when Tyrone Green overhit a chip behind the defensive line.
Leicester made Quins pay moments later. Freddie Steward cut a superb line through Sam Riley and Harry Williams, finding space down the middle of the Quins’ defence before stepping Nick David to score under the posts. Searle remained flawless from the tee.
A penalty lineout for Leicester soon turned into a dominant rolling maul, powering over the line for the bonus-point try, finished by Jamie Blamire. Just two minutes later, Leicester struck again as the fresh legs of Izaia Perese found space out wide, carving through to score in the corner.
With under five minutes remaining, the result was beyond doubt, prompting a steady stream of Harlequins supporters to head for the exits.
At full time, Quins were finally rewarded for their efforts when Chandler Cunningham-South reached desperately for the line. After a TMO review and some debate, the try was awarded to slightly soften the defeat for the home side. Marcus Smith added the conversion.
Full-time: Harlequins 7 – 34 Leicester
Harlequins: 7
- Tries: 1 (Cunningham-South 81’)
- Conversions: 1 (Smith 81’)
- Penalties:
- Yellow cards: 1 (Nick David 38’)
- Red cards:
Starting XV:
- Tyrone Green 14. Nick David 13. Luke Northmore 12. Bryn Bradley 11. Cadan
Murley 10. Marcus Smith 9. Lucas Friday 1. Simon Kerrod 2. Jack Walker 3. Pedro
Delgado 4. Kieran Tredwell 5. Guido Petti Pagadizábal 6. Chandler Cunningham-
South 7. Jack Kenningham 8. Alex Dombrandt (c)
Replacements:
- Sam Riley 17. Will Hobson 18. Harry Williams 19. Elliot Williams 20. Seb Driscoll
- Tom Lawday 22. Max Green 23. Jarrod Evans
Leicester Tigers: 34
- Tries: 5 (Hassell-Collins 21’, Van Poortvliet 26’, Steward 61’, Jamie Blamire 72’, Izaia
- Perese 75’)
- Conversions: 5 (Searle 21’, 26’, 60’, Jamie O’Connor 72’, 75’)
- Penalties: 1 (Searle 34’)
- Yellow cards:
- Red cards:
Starting XV:
- Freddie Steward 14. Gabriel Hamer-Webb 13. Will Wand 12. Orlando Bailey 11.
Ollie Hassell-Collins 10. Billy Searle 9. Jack van Poortvliet 1. Nicky Smith 2. Charlie
Clare 3. Joe Heyes 4. Cameron Henderson 5. Ollie Chessum (c) 6. Handro
Liebenberg 7. Tommy Reffell 8. Emeka Ilione
Replacements:
- Jamie Blamire 17. Archie Van Der Flier 18. Will Hurd 19. Joaquin Moro 20. Olly
Cracknell 21. Ollie Allan 22. James O’Connor 23. Izaia Perese
Must-Remember Moments
1) Jack van Poortvliet’s incredible try
Jack van Poortvliet produced the standout moment of the match. After a lineout, he collected the ball on the second phase, chipped cleverly over the defence into space, regathered on the bounce and powered over the line between defenders. His finish exposed weaknesses in the Quins’ defence and underlined his attacking threat.
2) Quins’ missed scoring opportunities
Harlequins had multiple chances in the first half to put points on the board. Cadan Murley looked particularly dangerous, looping into space and creating an opportunity before an offload to Luke Northmore went to ground, and the follow-up kick ran dead, denying the home side any scoreboard reward. This, combined with Tyrone Green’s belted kick over the back line, which saw him subbed off, was one of the small errors that repeatedly wasted momentum.
3) Leicester’s maul control told the story
While the highlights came out wide, Leicester’s forward power was just as decisive. From penalty lineouts inside the Quins’ 22, Tigers repeatedly set up well-organised rolling mauls that either gained ground or forced infringements. That pressure was eventually rewarded when a maul powered over for Jamie Blamire’s bonus-point try, underlining Leicester’s control up front and their ability to turn territory into points.
4) Van Poortvliet injury concern
Late in the match, Jack van Poortvliet hobbled off the pitch, receiving treatment for a leg injury with around ten minutes left. With the Six Nations approaching, this could be a concern for Leicester and England head coach Steve Borthwick, given Van Poortvliet’s role and form.
5) Frustration among Harlequins fans boiled over
With Quins struggling to break Tigers’ defence and the scoreline becoming increasingly one-sided, high volumes of the sold-out Twickenham Stoop crowd began to leave well before the final whistle. The early walkouts reflected growing fan frustration at the club’s ongoing Premiership struggles despite recent high points in European competition.
