Smith calls shots as Quins put on a show

MARCUS Smith struck the first blow in the battle for England’s newly-vacant No.10 shirt as he inspired Harlequins to crush George Ford’s Sale on a freezing Friday night at The Stoop.

- NICK POWELL

The conditions stifled attacking ambition in a low-scoring first half, but Quins led at the break after Joe Carpenter’s error allowed opposite number Tyrone Green to cross before Smith and Ford exchanged penalties.

The hosts came alive in the second half as Danny Care and Sam Riley went over before a Will Joseph double secured a bonus point win.

Quins’ scoring for fun by the end of the contest felt a lifetime beyond an opening stanza in which both England’s World Cup fly-halves kicked relentlessly to try and spark some heat into sub-zero southwest London.

Just under 10 minutes in, Smith circled the breakdown and kicked towards the right corner where Carpenter looked to have collected with ease. But the Sale full-back inexplicably let go of the ball after being tackled by Nick David, and gifted Green one of the easiest tries he’d ever score in the same spot where he had scored surely his hardest against Newcastle a month prior.