"The notion that Harlequins are one of the Premiership's whipping boys was made to look absurd as they strutted the turf of the Stoop with supreme confidence and aplomb. Try after try followed, a hat-trick for Nick David with consecutive tries either side of half-time. But the star performers were legion here. Their eighth try (of nine) on the hour opened up a 540 lead."
"How far away seemed the past few weeks, in which they have conceded nigh-on 150 points in three Premiership matches. It's been a tough few weeks, Alex Dombrandt, the Quins captain, said. But I'm really proud of how the boys have stuck together, how we've had those honest conversations. Everyone at the club wants to push forward. So, to put out a performance like that, I'm really proud."
"And yet, for the neutral, that niggle about the Stormers' team sheet will remain. It would be unfair to complain about South Africans sending over weakened teams at this pivotal point in the pool stages of an elite competition. Such practices are hardly unheard of in the Champions Cup and its previous iterations. The French, anyone? But the sheer distances teams have to travel now is an enduring flaw in this latest format."
Harlequins produced a comprehensive victory over a Stormers side that had been unbeaten this season. Harlequins scored repeatedly, including a hat-trick for Nick David and an eighth try that opened up a large lead. The Stormers lineup was heavily changed, with 12 alterations from a previous winning side, highlighting squad rotation decisions. Travel distances and the Champions Cup format encourage teams to rest players for select fixtures. Harlequins had endured defensive problems recently but showed cohesion and honest conversations within the squad, with captain Alex Dombrandt expressing pride in the group's response.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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