Quins sit top of the pile

Harlequins are top of the Engage Super League after continuing their unblemished start to the season at Leeds' expense.

Rookie coach Rob Powell guided the Londoners to the summit for the first time in their history and got one over his old boss Brian McDermott in the process with Friday's 36-26 triumph at Headingley.

Luke Gale led the visitors' third win of the season as Quins put an error-strewn Rhinos team to the sword and backed up previous victories over Catalan Dragons and Crusaders.

McDermott, who finished second-bottom of the table in his final season at the Stoop last year, suffered his first defeat as Leeds boss with Gale scoring his fourth try in three games while livewire hooker Andy Ellis touched down twice.

Yet it looked so predictable when the home side went in front after four minutes, when captain Kevin Sinfield carved out an opening for second rower Chris Clarkson to score, with Sinfield adding the conversion.

But Sinfield's kicking out of hand was less accurate and the Rhinos relaxed their early grip on the game to alarming effect.

Gale seized on a defensive mix-up between Leeds full-back Ben Jones-Bishop - a former Quins team-mate - and Lee Smith to grab his fourth try in three games to level the scores.

Bizarre

The Londoners then went in front thanks to a bizarre try from England centre Tony Clubb, who was left with a clear 30-metre run to the line after collecting Sinfield's goal-line drop-out, and they extended their lead on 30 minutes when Ellis burrowed his way over from dummy-half for his first try.

Gale converted all three but Sinfield brought his side back into the game just before the break when he went through a yawning gap in the visitors' defence for a solo try.

The game appeared to be turning Leeds' way when England winger Ryan Hall took Keith Senior's pass to grab a third try 10 minutes into the second half to cut gap to just two points.

With both sides showing a willingness to throw the ball around, play flowed from end to end in an entertaining second period and Harlequins played their full part.

Chad Randall twice picked off Leeds passes to turn defence into attack and a break from Ellis set up the position for Gale to send skipper Rob Purdham in for the visitors' fourth try on 56 minutes.

Harlequins, who gave a debut to centre Karl Pryce, their loan signing from Wigan, then went two scores in front when Australian loose forward Chris Bailey made light of some soft defence to crash over for his first try for the club.

Ellis demonstrated no fear for his safety when charging over for his second try and Gale then maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot to make it 36-16.

The Rhinos were well beaten but at least they finished with a flourish, with winger Lee Smith and loose forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan scoring tries in the last five minutes.