It was not long ago that Marcus Smith was still adjusting to being back in the fly-half jersey after the World Cup but, make no mistake, he is in the groove now. Smith ultimately proved the difference as Harlequins put on a show in their annual fixture here before Gloucester rallied and almost threatened the most unlikely of comebacks late in the game.
Steve Borthwick will no doubt be pleased but the England head coach will also be concerned about the fitness of Joe Marler, who went off with an arm injury before half-time. Ellis Genge is touch and go for the start of the Six Nations while Bevan Rodd and Val Rapava Ruskin are sidelined, leaving Borthwick significantly light at loosehead prop. “There will be scans and we’ll wait and see,” said Harlequins’ head coach Danny Wilson, who also lost Dino Lamb and Stephan Lewies to injury. “We’re hoping they’re not too bad because they’re big players for us.”
Smith was wayward from the tee early on but that was the only blot on his copybook. He came up with two 50:22s, always had an eye for a gap in the Gloucester defence and it was his all-round class that helped Harlequins to five tries, two from Nick David, to condemn Gloucester to a club record-equalling eighth straight league defeat. “I thought Marcus Smith was on another level,” conceded Gloucester’s director of rugby, George Skivington. “That’s to take nothing away from Quins as a team, I thought they were very good, but Marcus Smith showed his credentials.”
Danny Care, who has played in all 15 of these fixtures, and Alex Dombrandt also showed up well – as they tend to on these occasions – and while Gloucester rallied well late on, it is already a torrid campaign for the Cherry & Whites, propped up only by Newcastle who remain without a win this season. Quins didn’t need to be at their most polished here but with André Esterhuizen repeatedly punching holes and both David and Oscar Beard coming up with fine try-saving tackles in each half, they had too much for Gloucester on the day.
Harlequins like to make a song and dance whenever they make the short trip across the road. Tickets were a fair bit cheaper, the annual fixture is well marketed and provides a welcome excursion when only the most dedicated are still tucking into the turkey but it is no small feat to attract nearly 77,000 spectators – significantly more than England managed on their last appearance here.
As a result, tries were expected despite the gloomy weather and given Smith’s inaccuracy from the tee, Harlequins dealt exclusively in five-point scores in the first half. Quins opened the scoring after eight minutes of dominating territory and possession when Care darted towards the line, shipped on to Esterhuizen before David was released. It was to some surprise when Gloucester responded with an opportune try finished by Adam Hastings.
Normal service was resumed for Quins when Smith dummied his way through before releasing David down the left this time and Dombrandt added the third after more excellent work from Care. The veteran scrum-half measured his kick over the onrushing Gloucester defence perfectly with Dombrandt charging ahead to gather, bumping off England rival Zach Mercer on his way to the line.
Dino Lamb, one of the more impressive performers of the season to date, added the bonus point try early in the second half with a sharp dash down the left wing but the Italy forward injured his shoulder in the process of scoring and gingerly made his way off the field.
His departure – coming not long after that of Marler – seemed to take the wind out of Harlequins’ sails somewhat. Gloucester capitalised and the hooker George McGuigan burrowed over for his side’s second from close range.
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Harlequins’s response was emphatic, however. Smith’s second 50:22 of the match gave them a lineout in a threatening position from which Esterhuizen bulldozed over the gainline and soon enough Care was sniping his way over under the posts. Quins huffed and puffed for another but found no way through so Smith notched a drop goal before Jonny May, just on to the pitch as a replacement, ran in Gloucester’s third try of the evening.
A penalty try – awarded for Tyrone Green’s deliberate knock-on to deny a seemingly certain try on the left – made for a nervous couple of minutes for Quins but Gloucester were unable to snatch the victory they scarcely deserved.
