Ward Double Bails Quins Out But Wallace Facing Six Month Layoff

TWO Dave Ward tries in the final five minutes enabled Harlequins to retrieve a 12-point deficit and seal a thrilling victory over a combative London Irish.

- Neale Harvey

However, an entertaining match was overshadowed by a serious first-half hip injury to Harlequins open side Luke Wallace, who faces a potential six month lay-off.

Wallace lay prone for 25 minutes before being taken to hospital, with Harlequins rugby director John Kingston lamenting: “It’s a nasty hip injury. It looked like Luke was in a strong position over the ball but he’s been hit and it’s been dislocated.

“That’s why we were very careful with taking him off and we hope it’s a speedy recovery.”

Wallace’s injury notwithstanding, this was a cracking contest in which 18-year-old England fly-half prospect Marcus Smith set the tone with a slashing 40 metre break that Exiles full-back Greig Tonks did well to cover.

Irish then broke themselves and opened the scoring when Tommy Bell kicked a penalty to the corner, Seb De Chaves collected the line out and David Paice was mauled over.