Jarvis steers Quins to victory
By Tony Curtis
Last Updated: 28/07/24 7:00pm
A virtuoso performance from Adrian Jarvis saw Harlequins to their first win of the season.
Harlequins v Northampton Saints, Guinness Premiership, The Stoop, KO 3pm
A virtuoso performance from Adrian Jarvis saw Harlequins to their first win of the season.
Jarvis weighed in with 19 points as Quins toppled Northampton 34-19 - while Simon Keogh (2) and veteran scrum-half Andy Gomarsall also notched up tries for the home side.
The 22-year-old fly-half scored two penalties and four conversions with a 100 per cent kicking display, while he also crossed for the decisive fourth try that sealed the bonus point.
Northampton did manage a late rally with two tries in the last three minutes through Sean Lamont and Mark Robinson - but by that stage they were already 34-9 down and the points safely in the grasp on the Quins.
Having lost five Premiership matches on the bounce, the Quins are now starting to find their feet in the top-flight, with this victory coming on the back of the European Challenge Cup triumphs over Connacht and Montpellier.
Jarvis got them up and running with an early penalty, and although Saints levelled through Carlos Spencer, that was the last time the visitors were in touch.
Jarvis set Keogh up for the opening try on 22 minutes, with his teasing cross-field kick bouncing nicely for the recalled winger. Jarvis added the conversion and then slotted over a penalty after Spencer was on target with a three-pointer of his own.
After a close first half, the Quins ran away with the match after the interval.
Gomarsall showed his sniping skills are as sharp as ever as he nipped over from a scrum on the Saints line.
Jarvis duly obliged with the conversion before tagging on the extras to Keogh's second - the Quins back strolling over after the Northampton defence had been carved open.
The bonus point came in the 66th minute, with Jarvis topping a superb personal performance by burrowing over from close range and then converting.
The Saints suddenly awoke with Scottish winger Lamont racing over with three minutes left, before scrum-half Mark Robinson crossed in injury time.
To add to the visitors' woes, Steve Thompson and Luke Myring both left the field with injuries.
