Harlequins sweep aside Ebbw Vale

Harlequins marched their way into the quarter finals of the European Shield by trouncing visiting Ebbw Vale 45-22 at The Stoop.  

The Quins, clearly still buoyant from their last home win against Leicester which booked them a place in the Tetley's Bitter Cup, ran in a total of six converted tries and one penalty to outdo their pool rivals in style.

The west London club will, however, have to wait until tomorrow evening when the remaining European Shield's pool games have been decided to determine whether they have done enough to ensure a home draw in the knock-out stages of the competition.

Flanker Pat Sanderson, returning to action for the first time in three months because of an ankle injury, sparked Quins' try frenzy after an earlier Ben Gollings penalty.

Quins were clearly making the most of the sin-binning of Ebbw Vale's fly-half Shaun Conner when the giant forward emerged from a ruck on Ebbw Vale's goalline to reach and score.

Gollings added the conversion before pacey winger Nick Greenstock made the score 17-0 with a converted try after 17 minutes.

Outside centre Nick Burrows, doing more than an adequate job in replacing resting England international Will Greenwood, then scored either side of the break and, with Gollings being as consistent at ever with the boot, Quins were 31-0 up.

After 51 minutes Sanderson then went on to score his second try of the afternoon and Quins' fifth before Ebbw Vale, who prop up the bottom of the Pool Five table, put their first points on the board with a try by flanker Tyron Morris.

Paul Matthews, Andrew Wagstaff and Jonathan Walker then mounted a comeback with tries to make the Welsh side's scoreline more respectable.

But it was too little too late as Harlequins, who have now won three consecutive games, who responded with a converted try from Greenstock.