Harlequins overturn 28-point deficit at Bristol in breathtaking, extra time semi-final win
Harlequins staged one of the greatest comebacks in history to deprive Bristol of their first Gallagher Premiership final appearance.
In a thrilling game, Quins looked certain losers when moments before the half-time whistle they trailed 28-0.
However, they then scored five tries to take the match into extra time.
They added two more in that period to reach their first final since 2012 with a side that had 11 of their academy products in the matchday squad of 23.
Tyrone Green and Joe Marchant both scored two tries for Quins, Alex Dombrandt, James Chisholm and Louis Lynagh the others, with Marcus Smith adding four conversions.
Max Malins scored a hat-trick for Bristol, while Ben Earl and Luke Morahan claimed one apiece and Callum Sheedy kicked three penalties and a conversion.
Bristol made an explosive start. Two penalties in quick succession from Sheedy gave them the lead before they scored a superb try.
From inside his own half, Charles Piutau took a quick line-out before dancing past three defenders. The full-back then fed Semi Radradra before a well-timed pass from the Fijian sent Earl over.
Worse was to follow for Quins when Piutau intercepted a stray pass to race away. Smith dashed back to prevent Piutau from crossing but Bears retained possession before moving the ball wide for Malins to score.
Sheedy missed both conversions but Harlequins still had a mountain to climb as they trailed 16-0 at the end of an exhilarating first quarter.
Bristol looked set for another score when Radradra brushed aside a couple of Quins but Aaron Morris intercepted to save the day. In the process the wing sustained a hamstring injury and was replaced by Luke Northmore.
Northmore’s first action was to stand behind his own posts as Bristol scored their third try when Nathan Hughes picked up from a close-range scrum to provide Malins with a walk-in.
Bears were unstoppable and a fourth try soon arrived. From a line-out inside their own half, they spun the ball wide for Radradra and Malins to combine brilliantly to put Morahan over.
On the half-hour, Quins produced their first attack and looked to have scored when Lynagh dived over in the corner after Smith and Green had created space, but replays showed the wing had put a foot in touch.
However, a minute before the interval they picked up their first score when a speculative up and under from Smith bounced favourably for Dombrandt to collect and run 35 metres to score.
Within two minutes of the restart, Quins scored a second when enterprising play from Danny Care and Smith set up a try from Green.
Careless play from Bears then gave the visitors a third when they gave away possession in their own 22 for replacement Chisholm to pick up and score.
Bristol were shell-shocked, even more so when they conceded another try as Smith and Dombrandt carved them apart for Lynagh to finish and Quins were only four points behind going into the final quarter.
The next score was vital and it looked to have gone Bristol’s way when Harry Randall side-stepped Green to score but Radradra’s pass to Randall was shown to be forward.
Sheedy temporarily calmed the home side’s nerves with his third penalty but Bears remained under the cosh, with Dombrandt narrowly foiled before Lynagh was denied a second after TMO replays showed the scoring pass from Green was forward.
Quins were not to be denied as the strong running of Green created a try for Marchant with Smith’s conversion bringing the sides level with two minutes of normal time remaining.
In extra time, Sheedy hit a post with a 40-metre penalty before Quins took the lead for the first time when Green side-stepped Radradra and held off a tackle from Malins to score.
Smith converted but Bristol hit back when Radradra sent Malins over for his hat-trick, before Marchant had the final say with his second try.
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments