Challenge Cup: Quins win again
Care scurried over in the final play of the game to seal a second successive win in the European Challenge Cup. Two tries in as many minutes set Quins on course early in the second half after trailing 6-3 at half-time.
Tim Visser raced clear from an interception before Ollie Lindsay-Hague followed. Charlie Walker added a third while Cardiff replied through a late Sam Hobbs try despite a red card for veteran hooker Matthew Rees for stamping on Nick Easter late on.
In the day's other match a late show saw Gloucester triumph 33-20 over La Rochelle to keep their Challenge Cup defence on-track.
Ben Morgan gave the Cherry and Whites and early lead, but they were pegged back by home scrum-half Julien Audy. Jason Eaton put the hosts into the ascendancy after the break, but late tries from Steve McColl and Charlie Sharples secured Gloucester's 11th successive Challenge Cup triumph.
Thursday's Challenge Cup results:
Cardiff Blues 20 Harlequins 32
The scorers:
For Blues:
Tries: Penalty Try, Hobbs
Cons: Patchell, Evans
Pens: Patchell 2
Red Card: Rees
For Harlequins:
Tries: Visser, Lindsay-Hague, Walker, Care
Cons: Botica 2, Swiel
Pens: Botica 2
Cardiff Blues: 15 Blaine Scully, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Tom James, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Lloyd Williams, 8 Josh Turnbull, 7 Sam Warburton, 6 Ellis Jenkins, 5 James Down, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Tau Filise, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Gethin Jenkins (captain).
Replacements: 16 Matthew Rees, 17 Sam Hobbs, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Lou Reed, 20 Manoa Vosawai, 21 Tavis Knoyle, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Dan Fish
Harlequins: 15 Ollie Lindsay-Hague, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 Harry Sloan, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ben Botica, 9 Karl Dickson, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Jack Clifford (captain), 6 James Chisholm, 5 Sam Twomey, 4 Charlie Matthews, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Rob Buchanan, 1 Mark Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Collier, 19 Kieran Treadwell, 20 Dave Ward, 21 Danny Care, 22 Winston Stanley, 23 Tim Swiel
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Assistant Referees: Laurent Cardona (France), Arnaud Blondel (France)
TMO: Jean-Marie Piraveau (France)
Gloucester 33 La Rochelle 20
The scorers:
For La Rochelle:
Tries: Audy, Eaton
Cons: Fortassin 2
Pens: Fortassin 2
For Gloucester:
Tries: Morgan, McColl, Sharples
Cons: Laidlaw, Twelvetrees 2
Pens: Laidlaw 4
La Rochelle: 15 Charles Bouldoire, 14 Gabriel Lacroix, 13 Elliot Roudil, 12 Malietoa Hingano, 11 Alexander Northam, 10 Fabien Fortassin, 9 Julien Audy, 8 Kevin Gourdon, 7 Romain Sazy, 6 Jason Eaton (captain), 5 Leo Cedaro, 4 Jone Qovu Nailiko, 3 Gagi Bazadze, 2 Benjamin Geledan, 1 Mike Corbel.
Replacements: 16 Maxime Gau, 17 Thomas Synaeghel, 18 Vincent Pelo, 19 Damien Lagrange, 20 Zeno Kieft, 21 Albain Meron, 22 Jules Lebail, 23 Martin Carre
Gloucester: 15 James Hook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Henry Purdy; 10 Billy Twelvetrees (captain), 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 4 Tom Savage, 3 John Afoa, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Paddy McAllister.
Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Paul Doran-Jones, 19 Sione Kalafamoni, 20 Jacob Rowan, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Stevie McColl, 23 Rob Cook
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini (Italy), Luca Trentin (Italy)
TMO: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
