Quins silence Thunder
Harlequins put their Super League slump aside to run in 13 unanswered tries against hapless Gateshead Thunder.
Last Updated: 06/05/11 10:37pm
Harlequins put their Super League slump aside to run in 13 unanswered tries against hapless Gateshead Thunder.
The Tyneside club lost every game bar one last season and have yet to beat professional opposition in 2011, but Quins came into the contest woefully out of form themselves with no win in eight.
The Co-op Championship One bottom club gave as good as they got in the opening quarter and trailed only to Oliver Wilkes' converted try.
Thunder completed their sets and were faultless with ball in hand until the half hour mark, before Quins finally found some attacking shape with four tries in eight minutes.
Ben Bolger dived over in the corner and Jamie O'Callaghan between the posts after Olsi Krasniqi went past a weak Josh Stoker challenge.
David Howell twisted over in the tackle and then England international Tony Clubb threw a dummy 15 metres out to give Harlequins a commanding 32-0 interval lead.
Punishment
There was more punishment to come early in the second half as Dan Sarginson scored from close range.
Clubb then took O'Callaghan's short pass to dart over and Chris Melling raced clear from distance following Andy Ellis' break near halfway.
Bolger dived through a gap after Mark Calderwood had threatened down the right, Chad Randall then switching play to the left to open up a gap.
Debutant Sarginson's lofted kick over the top then bounced back kindly into the hands of Nick Kouparitsas, the Londoners' ninth try scorer of the evening.
Quick hands across the line saw Clubb complete his hat-trick and there was still time for playmaker Randall to complete the scoring two minutes from time.
Gateshead were unable to get on the scoreboard but can take some credit for battling away right to the final hooter.
