Musk double leads Harlequins to victory despite Northampton rally

Two attack-minded sides and a lovely sunny day duly produced a high-scoring Sunday afternoon in south-west London. Harlequins are now up to fifth in the Premiership after another free-wheeling display which saw the hosts claim maximum points in a game of nine tries and, from Northampton’s perspective, almost as many frustrating near misses.

Quins, who have now scored an impressive 20 tries in their four league games, fully deserved their victory, with the hooker Jack Musk scoring twice and the centre Luke Northmore impressing once again. Saints, however, were guilty of squandering a bucket-full of opportunities, registering four tries but left to regret their failure to nail numerous others.

It made for another wildly fluctuating afternoon, with Quins having appeared safe when they led 35-15 with just 15 minutes left. Last-quarter tries from George Furbank and Tom James, however, put the Saints right back in the hunt and only a desperate late turnover saved the hosts from last-gasp embarrassment.

It is usually Quins who specialise in unlikely comebacks but here they made all the early running. They were 14-0 up inside the first seven minutes courtesy of tries for Musk and Lennox Anyanwu, and Northampton’s early inability to hang on to the ball did not help either.

Three or four times in the first half alone the Saints made it into the home 22 only to spill possession when opportunity knocked. If robust Quins tackling had something to do with it, there was a slight lack of composure and cohesion from one or two individuals when it mattered.

The scrum-half Alex Mitchell also delayed fatally too long with options outside him and Quins continued to look the more clinical side. They have one of the form backs of the