Quins make Leeds pay
Harlequins extended their unbeaten home run with an impressive 46-11 victory over Leeds.
Last Updated: 10/04/10 6:46pm
Harlequins extended their unbeaten home run with an impressive 46-11 victory over Guinness Premiership strugglers Leeds on Saturday.
Quins, who have not lost at the Stoop since September, ran in six tries and fly-half Nick Evans added 14 more points with the boot.
Full-back Mike Brown scored twice, while wingers Tom Williams and David Strettle, centre George Lowe and replacement hooker Chris Brooker also touched down.
Leeds fly-half Ceiron Thomas struck two penalties and number eight Alfie To'oala crossed for a last-minute try.
Fijian centre Seru Rabeni made various inroads into the home defence but Leeds were unable to capitalise as they slipped to their third successive defeat.
Evans put the hosts ahead with a 40-metre penalty in the seventh minute after Leeds were brought back for a late challenge on Brown.
Blistering
And six minutes later the quick thinking by the former All Black created Quins' first try when he found Brown with a quick lineout.
Brown drew in the defence with a blistering run through the middle, before throwing a long pass to send Williams in unchallenged at the corner.
Evans landed another penalty in the 25th minute to put Quins 13-0 ahead before Leeds were able to open their account three minutes later.
Thomas slotted between the sticks to close the gap to 10 points after a Quins scrum infringement.
Leeds tried to get back into the game but, when Leigh Hinton found himself without support after a piercing run, Harlequins hit them on the break for try number two.
Nick Easter found Evans after picking up loose ball from the ruck but Strettle was denied by Hinton just short of the line.
Fears
Brown however, picked up and forced his way over for the try on 52 minutes before Thomas landed his second penalty for Leeds in the 60th minute.
But the visitors' hopes of salvaging anything from the match were ended a minute later when lock Calum Clark was sent to the sin-bin for a late challenge on Evans.
Harlequins made the numerical advantage pay, running in four tries in the space of just nine minutes.
First Evans and Strettle combined to send young centre George Lowe in on 63 minutes and, three minutes later, Brooker went over for the bonus-point try following a huge drive by the Quins pack.
Brown scored his second in the 69th minute after chasing down a loose ball and, on 72 minutes, Strettle showed his pace to outstrip the Leeds defence from halfway for the sixth try.
To'oala's crossed for the visitors a minute from time but it did nothing to ease the Yorkshiremen's fears at the foot of the table.