Premiership: Harlequins 50-26 Worcester Warriors - Quins win to maintain play-off bid

Former England scrum-half Danny Care continued his recent fine form with Harlequins' opening try against Worcester

Harlequins climbed back into the Premiership play-off places with an eight-try demolition of Worcester.

Danny Care scored the game's first try before scores from Marcus Smith, Andre Esterhuizen and Wilco Louw saw Quins secure a bonus point in 32 minutes.

Flanker Will Evans scored two tries either side of half-time, with winger Tyrone Green and replacement Luke Northmore also going over for Quins.

Worcester scored twice late on to earn a four-try bonus point of their own.

The tries from wing Alex Hearle and replacement prop Richard Palframan and first-half scores from hooker Niall Annett and lock Joe Batley at least gave Worcester something to show from their afternoon.

But they were well beaten and slumped to a 13th defeat of the season to stay seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Harlequins were fresh for the game having selected a much-changed side to the one that lost to Ulster in the Challenge Cup - a defeat which afforded them a week off.

They took advantage by returning with a rampant display to keep their bid for a semi-final firmly on course.

The pick of their tries was perhaps Evans' first, as he was sent away down the right wing and dived to the corner, touching down just before Worcester scrum-half Francois Hougaard could tackle him into touch.

Harlequins assistant coach Jerry Flannery:

"It was good to get back into the top four. The last 10 minutes are still sticking with me a little bit because we've really been targeting a full 80-minute performance. Unfortunately we didn't do it, but our middle 40 was excellent.

"A home play-off is within our reach, but it's obviously dependent on how Exeter go. When Paul Gustard (former head of rugby) left earlier in the year we didn't expect this to happen.

"We know we have talent in the club, but we didn't expect this to happen. A lot of things have fallen in our favour and the players are working really hard.

"Top four at the moment is what we're aiming for. To get top two would be brilliant, but to be in the mix at the end of the season would be enough at the moment."

Worcester head coach Jonathan Thomas:

"We're not satisfied. A point is a point but the big thing for us is performance.

"The disappointing thing that we really have to own is the fact everything we prepared to do - keeping the game structured, process, systems - was fleeting.

"It's not acceptable to concede 50 points. We know Quins have done that to other teams because they have some dangerous players, but we defended as individuals."

Harlequins: Brown; Green, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Marler, Baldwin, Louw, Symons, Lamb, Lawday, Evans, Dombrandt (capt).

Replacements: Gray, Els, Collier, Tizard, Kenningham, Landajo, Herron, Northmore.

Worcester: Shillcock; Humphreys, Lawrence, Venter, Hearle; Searle, Hougaard; Waller, Annett, Schonert , Batley, G Kitchener, Hill (capt), Kvesic, Van Velze.

Replacements: Miller, Thomas, Palframan, Bresler, Dodd, Simpson, Beck, Doel.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (RFU).

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