Bok helps Harlequins keep play-off hopes alive
MATCH REPORT: It was a brilliant bonus point win for Harlequins in Pool Two of the Champions Cup as they travelled to Cardiff and ran out 54-15 winners in their Round Three match.
They boasted eight different try scorers, but arguably the pick of the lot was Oscar Beard’s effort just before half-time.
It looked like it might have been a very different story when Tinus de Beer’s fourth-minute penalty gave the hosts an early lead – but then the tries started flowing.
Flank Thomas Young’s double for Cardiff was matched by Harlequins hooker Jack Walker and centre Andre Esterhuizen – with Marcus Smith converting both for the visitors while De Beer added the extras only for the second effort.
Then Harlequins took the lead for the first time shortly before the break after wing Nick David and scrum half Danny Care combined brilliantly and Will Evans got the ball over – and Smith converted again.
The bonus point was already sealed when centre Beard got the fourth for the visitors just before half-time, with a brilliant run down the left.
Smith scored his own try at the start of the second half, leaping on a brilliant assist from Care.
Welsh international Dillon Lewis scored against his old side 12 minutes from time, powering home on the left, and prop Fin Baxter grabbed the seventh before Tyrone Green sprinted through the middle and crossed the line to underline a dominant performance.
Smith converted seven of the eight tries, only missing the extras for his own score.
Cardiff stay rooted to the bottom of Pool Two but are not completely out of the competition, and will go all guns blazing against Racing 92 next week.
Harlequins have positioned themselves well for progression to the Round of 16, but they may require victory against Ulster to make sure of their spot in the knockout stage.
The scorers:
For Cardiff:
Tries: Young 2
Con: de Beer
Pen: de Beer
For Harlequins:
Tries: Walker, Esterhuizen, Evans, Beard, Smith, Lewis, Baxter, Green
Cons: Smith 7
Teams:
Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Harri Millard, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Uilisi Halaholo, 11 Mason Grady, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 James Botham, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Seb Davies, 4 Teddy Williams, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher (captain), 1 Rhys Carre
Replacements: 16 Efan Daniel, 17 Corey Domachowski, 18 Rhys Litterick, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 Mackenzie Martin, 21 Ellis Bevan, 22 Ben Thomas, 23 Owen Lane
Harlequins: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Nick David, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Cameron Anderson, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care, 8 Alex Dombrandt (captain), 7 Will Evans, 6 James Chisholm, 5 George Hammond, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Will Collier, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Fin Baxter.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Jordan Els, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Irne Herbst, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Will Porter, 22 Lennox Anyanwu, 23 Louis Lynagh
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Martin (IRE) & Sam Holt (Ireland)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)
