On Sunday, in the Premiership Rugby league, Harlequins beat Northampton by 35-29. The two sides fully committed to playing their rugby on the front foot, and the result was another wildly fluctuating try-fest
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Harlequins had been leading 35-15 with just 12 minutes left, but last-quarter tries from George Furbank and Tom James propelled the Saints right back into the game, and this late turnover saved the hosts from last-gasp embarrassment.
Harlequins have now scored twenty tries in their four league games so far, and in this match, the hooker Jack Musk contributed two tries.
Alex Mitchell, Rory Hutchinson, Alex Coles, and Lewis Ludlam could all have scored or set up vital tries, but they were unable to do that.
Tabai Matson, head coach of Harlequins, said At times, you wonder, why am I in this industry? It’s a pretty brutal industry, and winning and losing have an impact on you as a coach. I have thought of getting an Apple watch to see what my heart rate is, he said.
Due to Northampton’s early inability to hang on to the ball, the Harlequins were 14-0 up inside seven minutes, in which Musk and Lennox Anyanwu made tries. In the first half, Northampton got a chance three or four times that could back the game in their hand, but they could not utilize them well.
A close-range try from Lewis Ludlam and a penalty from Dan Biggar did the Northampton back into the game, but the Harlequins resisted them from winning.
Northampton has now been shown six yellow cards in just four games, which made them the worst early defenders in the league.
Harlequins were very happy to win the game, as they attracted a full house.
