Amlin Challenge Cup: Harlequins defeat Stade Francais 29-6 in Paris
Last Updated: 05/04/14 2:06pm
Harlequins booked an all-English Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final showdown with Northampton after defeating Stade Francais 29-6 in Paris on Friday night.
Harlequins booked an all-English Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final showdown with Northampton after defeating Stade Francais 29-6 in Paris on Friday night.
Second half tries for Mike Brown and Tim Molenaar and a flawless kicking performance from Nick Evans kept Quins’ quest for a fourth Challenge Cup title on course as an under-strength Stade came up well short at the Stade Jean-Bouin.
The Londoners’ reward is a last four date later this month away at Aviva Premiership rivals Northampton, who defeated Sale 28-14 on Thursday night to progress.
With a place in the top six of the Top 14 far from assured, Stade opted to field a second string XV for the visit of Quins, who were at full-strength for the European quarter-final.
Experienced All Black fly-half Evans out-kicked opposite number Morne Steyn three to two in the first half to give Quins a narrow 9-6 advantage in a first half help up for some time by an unfounded eye-gouging allegation against Joe Marler.
The visitors always looked like scoring the first try of the night and it came seven minutes after the restart after a powerful initial break from Nick Easter.
Easter broke the gainline and when the ball was recycled right to Brown, the England No 15 held off three men before touching down superbly on the stretch.
Evans converted brilliantly from out wide to put Quins in command at 16-6 and another simple penalty from in front of the posts left Stade with plenty to do.
Replacement kicker Vincent Mallet missed a penalty attempt with 12 minutes remaining and any hopes of a comeback were well and truly killed off a minute later when Evans produced a try-saving interception before slotting over a late drop-goal to cap a man of the match display.
A ruthless second half display was then sealed in the dying stages when Molenaar crashed over in the corner.
