Gloucester Battered By Quins' Storm Troopers

WE HAD thunder and lightning on and off the field for 20 minutes at the Stoop yesterday which was more than enough for Quins to seize this game and claim a morale restoring victory after the disappointment of defeat against London Irish first time out.

- Brendan Gallagher

The game had been spluttering in the first quarter when a spectacular storm hit the ground and it was Quins who took inspiration and taped into the electricity.

First Charlie Walker lit up the game with a spectacular 75-yard break that was thwarted before Dave Ward sprinted onto a clever inside pass to score under the posts for Marcus Smith to convert.

The young fly-half was an early replacement for Demetri Catrakalis who departed on a stretcher with a throat injury that had seen him stop breathing briefly before the medics arrived.

With the pressure off a little, 18-year-old Smith enjoyed a fine game after distinctly mixed fortunes against London Irish on his debut last week.

The recent graduate of Brighton College initiated a cracking score as half time approached, launching a counter-attack from Quins own half which was taken on by Mike Brown and Marland Yarde before the excellent Walker applied the finishing touch.