Quins rally to stun Wasps
Harlequins fought back from 40-13 down against Wasps to pull off one of the most extraordinary victories Twickenham has ever seen.
Last Updated: 01/09/12 6:28pm
Harlequins fought back from 40-13 down against Wasps to pull off one of the most extraordinary victories Twickenham has ever seen.
In the first match of the new Aviva Premiership season, the champions found themselves 27 points down with 22 minutes left against the club who so nearly got relegated last season, but Quins scored four tries to snatch an astonishing win.
Wasps wing Christian Wade got the first try of the new season after just two minutes, Tom Varndell putting him over, and after Nicky Robinson landed two penalties the right wing returned the favour to Varndell on 12 to make it 20-0.
Quins pulled a try back when offloads from first Nick Easter and then Chris Robshaw sent Tom Williams over, but a Robinson penalty and Wade's second score - where he rounded the hapless George Lowe - made it 28-7.
Evans clawed two penalties back and just before half-time history was made: Varndell thought he had scored but the TMO ruled that there had been a forward pass in the build-up, as they are allowed to do this season - no try.
Fine break
On 47 Marco Wentzel, sent clear after Varndell's fine break and pass down the left, galloped over and then on 56 the lock set up Tim Payne to make it 40-13.
Then came the astonishing Quins rally - Tom Guest charged down and gathered to score one and Michael Brown, after a great flip pass from Karl Dickson, went over in the corner - 40-25.
Nick Evans then spied Brown in acres of space on the left wing, found him with a pinpoint cross-field kick and the full-back went over - 40-32.
Evans then wriggled over himself as tiring Wasps began to miss tackles, the fly-half adding the extras to cut the gap to a point.
And with three minutes left Evans smashed home a penalty to win a game that will live long in the memory.