Harlequins seal progress with victory over Glasgow

Investec Champions Cup Pool 4

Harlequins: (17) 24

Tries: Cunningham-South, Chisholm, Murley Cons: Smith 3 Pen: Smith

Glasgow Warriors: (7) 7

Try: Jordan Con: Jordan

Harlequins progressed to the last 16 of the Investec Champions Cup by beating Glasgow Warriors at Twickenham Stoop.

Chandler Cunningham-South opened the scoring from close range following a neat team move, before the flanker turned provider for James Chisholm to dive over after a powerful surge.

Glasgow, who have already qualified with a home tie in the last 16, hit back with a flowing move finished off under the posts by Tom Jordan.

The visitors were almost in again with a similar play moments later, but as the ball was thrown wide Quins winger Cadan Murley leapt high to intercept and the chance disappeared.

In a drab second half lacking cutting edge, Quins fans had to wait until the 68th minute for the next points when Murley ran clear after a clever turnover to turn defence into attack.

Victory for Quins ensures they qualify from Pool 4 after Racing 92 beat Stormers, while fellow Premiership side Sale Sharks can join them with a bonus-point home win against unbeaten Toulon on Sunday (17:30 GMT).

Defeat by Toulon in their last outing left Quins’ prospects hanging in the balance.

The hosts had to claim victory to keep their fate in their own hands and started brightly as Marcus Smith whipped the ball wide to test the Glasgow defence early on, before Cunningham-South followed up his selection for England’s Six Nations squad with the opening try.

The flanker proved to be a thorn in Glasgow’s side all night with his direct running, but it was a one-handed offload which created the next try for Chisholm, who tucked the ball under his arm and charged over the line.

Glasgow are second in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and had secured their progress to the last 16 in Europe, but arrived at the Stoop without talisman Sione Tuipulotu, who is a doubt for Scotland’s Six Nations campaign after an injury in training.

His replacement in the starting XV, Stafford McDowall, fed winger Seb Cancelliere to beat Murley on the outside and feed the ball back inside where it arrived for Jordan to glide under the posts to cut the deficit.

Quins managed to wrest back momentum before the break but Ben Waghorn’s try, which would have been his first on his full European debut, was ruled out for obstruction by Oscar Beard in the build-up.

The second half was more of a drab affair, but as Huw Jones was stripped of possession Quins threw the ball wide for Murley to scamper clear and score their third try.

The hosts chased a fourth bonus-point try but the ball spilled forward late on and Glasgow called time with both sides looking forward to the prospect of the last 16.

Harlequins: Green; David, Beard, Waghorn, Murley; Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Chisholm, Lewies, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt (capt).

Replacements: Riley, Jones, Kerrod, Launchbury, Lawday, W Evans, Care, J Evans.

Glasgow: McKay, Cancelliere, Jones, McDowall (capt), Rowe, Jordan, Dobie; Sutherland, Matthews, Z Fagerson, Ferrie, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Hiddleston, Bhatti, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Venter, Afshar, Weir.

Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)