Racing 92…………………………….28
Tries: Le Garrec 15, 42; Gibert 40, Diallo 58
Conversions: Le Garrec 16, 40+1, 43, 59
Harlequins…………………………..31
Tries: Smith 22, Esterhuizen 25, Dombrandt 61, Walker 65
Conversions: Smith 23, 26, 62, 67
Drop Goals: Smith 38
Harlequins got their Champions Cup campaign up and running with a bonus point victory as they came back from 11 points down in the final quarter to stun Racing 92 in Paris.
Racing took the lead following a frantic first 15 minutes as Siya Kolisi and Cameron Woki linked up superbly to help Nolann Le Garrec go over, but Marcus Smith dummied his way through brilliantly to level the contest before Andre Esterhuizen powered over less than three minutes later.
Smith extended the lead to 10 with a drop goal, but Racing struck shortly before and after the half-time whistle through Antoine Gibert and Le Garrec again respectively to get back in front, and led 28-17 as Ibrahim Diallo scored following sustained Racing pressure.
Quins came alive again for the final quarter though, and after Alex Dombrandt and Jack Walker scored in another quickfire two try salvo they clung on for a memorable victory.
The Rugby Paper columnist Jeremy Guscott felt that Quins would struggle with Racing’s forward power in his piece on Sunday, and though the Londoners dominated possession and territory in the opening quarter they struggled at the ruck, maul and scrum when in the Parisians red zone.
They thought they had the opener as Dino Lamb charged 30 metres down the touchline, before Danny Care produced a trademark snipe at the subsequent breakdown, but Lamb was held as he tried for a few more yards and the try was ruled out for a double movement.
It was ultimately Racing’s number nine who got the first score as they hit straight back. From the lineout that resulted from the penalty against Lamb, Gibert dinked over the Quins defence and Kolisi pounced on the loose ball, charged towards the left touchline and found Woki, who offloaded to Le Garrec for the opening try.
Quins responded well though, continuing to have joy in working their way up to the 22 with excellent handling and footwork from both their forwards and backs, and after another Lamb charge Smith had the platform to square the contest.
With Quins looking to go wide off a scrum, Smith threw a huge dummy bought four Racing defenders, before beating Gael Fickou, finishing and converting to tie it up at 7-7.
Moments later they were ahead, as Esterhuizen made similarly light work of the home defence from another solid scrum, with Fickou again beaten as he missed a one-on-one tackle on the South African.
After Esterhuizen coasted over Smith knocked over another straightforward converted to double Quins’ tally and take them seven ahead.
The inside centre should have had a second after Care broke through with him on his shoulder, but Care attempted to kick instead and Henry Arundell – who is set for a contract extension at Racing that will rule him out of England duty for the foreseeable future – dotted down for a goal line dropout.
From the resulting clearance, Smith landed an excellently struck drop goal from just beyond halfway, but Quins struggled to clear their own lines at the end of the half. Though they looked to have a break on down the left, Care again failed to execute a short kick and Vinaya Habosi snatched the ball to set up a Racing attack.
Powerful carries softened up the Londoners defence, giving Gibert the chance to cross in the corner before Le Garrec added a well-struck conversion to cut the gap to three at half-time.
Any regrets Quins would have had about not being further clear, which they should have done having been well on top in the first period, were accentuated as Racing snatched the lead less than two minutes into the second half.
Arundell showed great pace and power to beat two Quins players, and though he didn’t manage to get over Le Garrec scooped and finished to get the Parisians ahead on the scoreboard.
Racing would dominate the third quarter though, hammering away at the visitors’ try line and repeatedly turning down penalties off the tee. Harlequins were doing a good job of slowing the ball down, but not always legally, and with every infringement they gave the hosts another chance to extend their lead with the bonus point score.
Had Racing not crossed for their fourth when they did, Quins might well have received a yellow card for repeated penalties close the line, but Diallo went over after tight carries around the base of the posts to give Racing the biggest lead of the match.
Quins needed a quick response, and were helped as Racing oddly crossfield kicked in their own half, with Arundell then kicking out on the full under pressure as his side scrambled to secure clean ball again.
The gap returned to four points after a powerful attack brought Quins into the 22 and Dombrandt sycthed through before crashing over the try line, and they went straight back on the hunt for the try that would put them in the lead.
The visitors turned down a penalty straight in front of the posts that could have cut the gap to one, now looking to score their own fourth try, and Walker went over from the back of a well-set and powerful maul to give his side the advantage.
Smith, named Player of the Match for the second week in a row, sent the conversion over and looked to manage the game to victory as he and his fellow half-backs – first Care and after he was substituted, Will Porter – continually kicked deep to force Racing to go from deep.
And though a penalty conceded off their own scrum allowed Racing one last charge at the Quins line, the visitors held on to earn a crucial win at a venue where they were so narrowly beaten earlier this year.
RACING: Arundell; Habosi, Fickou, Saili, Imhoff; Gibert, Le Garrec; Gogichashvili, Tarrit, Nyakane, Palu, Woki, Diallo, Kolisi, Lauret
Replacements: Arous, Nyakane, Gomes Sa, Chouzenoux, Joseph, Le Bail, Tedder, Chavancy
HARLEQUINS: Green; David, Joseph, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Marler, Riley, Lewis, Launchbury, Lamb, Cunningham-South, W Evans, Dombrandt (c)
Replacements: Walker, Baxter, Kerrod, Herbst, Chisholm, Porter, J Evans, Beard
Star Man: Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
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