Exeter top-four hopes hit by superb Quins comeback

Image source, Getty Images

• Published16 May 2026, 18:06 BST

The Prem

Harlequins (14) 41

Tries: Kenningham, Northmore, Murley, Porter, Evans, Wenger Cons: Smith 3 Pens: Smith

Exeter (24) 24

Tries: Ridl, Varney, Norey, Ikitau Cons: Slade 2

Harlequins put a dent in Exeter Chiefs' play-off hopes with a blistering 41-24 come-from-behind Prem victory to boost their own aspirations of Champions Cup rugby next season.

Leading 24-14 at half-time, fourth-placed Chiefs had looked set to further cement their hopes of competing for a spot in the Prem final.

But after a second-half blitz from a youthful Quins side, which scored 27 unanswered points, the visitors were left nervously contemplating two difficult games against Leicester and Saracens in order to book their post-season place.

Twickenham's Allianz Stadium proved a very different place in a first half that Chiefs dominated, notching four tries and a bonus point, than the second period when they could not live with Quins' energy.

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Worryingly for Exeter, who made a raft of changes in an effort to regather momentum and control, they gained neither with their hosts running in four second-half tries as the Chiefs finished a man light after a late yellow card.

Nothing in the opening period had suggested the ultimate outcome as Exeter eased to a 12-0 lead in the first 10 minutes, Campbell Ridl and Stephen Varney capitalising on great build-up play from Harvey Skinner and Paul Brown-Bampoe respectively.

The latter bulldozed his way down the right wing leaving Quins, plural, trampled underfoot while Skinner's kicking was incisive and accurate.

A Jack Kenningham try, which Marcus Smith converted, pulled it back to 12-7 but when hooker Max Norey got on the end of a well-worked lineout routine on 26 minutes and Len Ikitau ran a hard-angled burst six minutes later, it looked as though the Chiefs were building a rout.

That proved to be well wide of the mark.

Luke Northmore kept playing when Exeter did not after a possible knock-on to run in a try for Quins four minutes before the break. And after half-time there was only one team in it.

Cadan Murley moved on to the heels of Mike Brown in second place as Quins' leading top-flight try scorer, finishing after a great break from Cameron Anderson.

Another bruising run from Jamie Benson set up Will Porter and, after a penalty was awarded for Chiefs not releasing, Smith took three to put the hosts ahead for the first time in the match on 68 minutes.

Alex Dombrandt and Chandler Cunningham-South then teed up Will Evans to go over on a free right wing after tying up the Exeter defence with some powerful close -range darts.

And with Exeter accepting their fate and visibly wilting after Bachuki Tchumbadze received a 10-minute marching order, Boris Wenger intercepted to stomp to a last-minute try and put gloss on a superb second-half display.

'A bit battered and bruised' - reaction

Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore:

"Alex [Dombrandt] has been amazing and his last three months have been outstanding.

"I don't think there are too many better number eights in the country at the moment. He's putting his hand up to grab that starting eight jersey for England as well.

"The growth in his game and in his leadership has been a real bright spot for us that I know we can carry into next season.

"In the first half of the season he had a couple of little niggles that meant he couldn't build any rhythm with his game."

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter speaking to BBC Radio Devon:

"I would probably say we look like a team who have gone back to back with big games and short turnarounds. We have been going hard and looked like that team that was a bit battered and bruised.

"We were working quite well in that first half but our emotional batteries just drained a little bit towards the end.

"Decision making and all those processes start to go when things start getting on top of you. There was an edge not there today and that is the deciding factor in games of Prem rugby.

"We picked up bangs and bruises all through the game. I don't want to hammer the players too much but it is interesting how disappointed they are in the changing room. The guys feel like they have dropped off a little today.

"It almost looks like we are trying to make it about that last game. Maybe we are. We will see but at the end of the day it comes down to if we win we are in a semi-final and it is a pretty good season."

Harlequins: Benson, Anderson, Northmore, Bradley, Murley, Smith, Friday; Hobson, Riley, Delgado, Carr, Williams, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt (c).

Replacements: Musk, Wenger, Streeter, Green, Driscoll, Evans, Porter, Isgro.

Exeter: Woodburn, Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Ikitau, Ridl, Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (c), Zambonin, Hooper, Tshiunza, Vintcent.

Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tuima, Worley-Brady, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Feyi-Waboso.

Referee: Matthew Carley

Related topics

• Harlequins
• Exeter Chiefs
• Rugby Union