Tries: Williams 4, Townsend 10, Skinner 38 Tshiunza 22, 80+2; Schickerling 67
Conversions: Simmonds 4, 11, 23, 39, 68
Penalties: Simmonds 7
Harlequins…………………42
Tries: Murley 27, 50; Green 47, Northmore 57, 60; Marchant 71
Conversions: Smith 28, 48, 51, 58, 61, 72
Christ Tshiunza’s try at the death won an epic battle for Exeter, as they overcame a trademark Harlequins comeback to claim a superb victory.
Tshiunza had also scored one of four Chiefs tries in the first half, as Harry Williams, Stu Townsend and Harvey Skinner also all crossed, with Murley providing Quins’ sole response.
But Murley would also be one of the London club’s scorers in the second half as they roared back, with Tyrone Green and a Luke Northmore double giving them a 35-31 lead.
Exeter hit back through Patrick Schickerling, but Quins led as the clock headed into the red through a brilliantly collected cross-field kick by Joe Marchant.
But although the London club put up fierce resistance in the final ten minutes, Tshiunza became the hero as he helped Exeter escape their 22 down the left-hand touchline, before scoring down that very same side to give the Chiefs a one point win.
Harlequins’ comeback train still running
After a series of remarkable fightbacks in the last two seasons, Harlequins looked as if they had done it again after an astonishing second half recovery.
BT Sport’s win predictor gave them a 0% chance of winning on the stroke of half-time, with a 1% chance of a draw, and as they missed another opportunity before the break, it was easy to believe that arbitrary measurement.
But as has happened so often since the removal of Paul Gustard as head of rugby in January 2021 Harlequins burst into life, with Green going over after a brilliant one-two with first-half scorer Murley, before a terrific spell of phases up the field led to Murley grabbing his second.
Next, Northmore broke from his own half after cutting a sublime line off a Lennox Anwanyu offload to reduce the gap to three, and he would put his side into the lead with a similar cut against the grain through the Exeter defence, albeit from their 22-metre line this time.
Even when Exeter hit back through the hero of their win against Leicester in round one, Patrick Shickerling, Quins showed terrific composure to score again.
First from their fly-half Marcus Smith, who provided a beautifully weighted cross-field kick, and then from Marchant, who dealt with an awkward bounce by tipping up the ball and collecting it calmly to dot down for what looked to be the winner.
But Exeter had other ideas.
Renewed Chiefs show their class in the end
Exeter will no doubt readily admit that they made defensive and disciplinary errors to let Quins back into the contest, but the job they had done in the first-half would always keep them in the fight on the scoreboard.
They completely outmuscled Quins to race into a 24-0 lead, with Williams’ powerful drive over, Townsend’s sharp sniping and Tshiunza’s brutal finish from outside the 22 – where he shrugged off three Quins defenders – putting them in complete control.
They could be forgiven that after Murley’s score for the Londoners, Skinner’s interception off a botched Quins backs move would be enough to get them over the line, but not for the first time they were on the receiving end of Tabai Matson’s side’s devastating attacking response.
But like their renewed vigour this season, that had seen them win both their first two games heading into the contest, they were composed in putting together the phases to get back in the lead, before the epic finish to the game.
Despite being a man down after Ian Whitten was sin-binned for an offence in the build-up to Marchant’s try, they kept the ball in their 22 before Tshiunza headed up the left touchline.
His break gave Stuart Hogg the space to burst up the opposite side, and his marginally flat ball to Schickerling brough them up to Quins’ 22.
Schickerling did brilliantly to stay in play, and there was almost an inevitability that they would score as Tshiunza made his final charge, again shrugging off Quins tackles to dot down in the corner.
Skinner missed a conversion that would’ve sent Chiefs top of the league on points difference, but few at Sandy Park would have cared, clear from the audible jubilation at the final whistle.
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