Premiership: Wasps 16-26 Harlequins - Champions come from behind to win

Centre Luke Northmore got the second and fourth of Harlequins' three second-half tries at the CBS Arena

Premiership champions Harlequins came from 16-0 down at half-time as they showed their title-winning qualities to beat Wasps at the CBS Arena.

Missing England quartet Alex Dombrandt, Joe Marler, Joe Marchant and Marcus Smith, Quins looked out for the count.

Wasps led after Jacob Umaga added three penalties to add to his conversion of home hooker Gabriel Oghre's try.

But they flipped the contest with second-half tries from Luke Northmore (2), Tyrone Green and Scott Steele.

They also had a second try chalked off for full-back Green but replacement scrum-half Steele made amends when he strolled over to the left of the posts to put Quins ahead for the first time nine minutes from the end.

Centre Northmore then capped a hugely one-sided second half when he went over again down the right with the game's final play to claim Quins' try bonus point and deny Wasps a losing bonus point.

Wasps' all-action hooker Gabriel Oghre scored his second try in successive matches

Having gone into the game with 18 players unavailable for selection, weakened Wasps's casualty list was extended as three more players, full-back Ali Crossdale and props Robin Hislop and Zac Nearchou all failed to finish the match.

In a first half overshadowed by a long delay while Crossdale received extended on-field treatment for a head contact injury, the hosts built a comfortable lead.

They managed just one try, when Umaga latched onto a loose pass to sprint clear down the left touchline, found Josh Bassett in support and hooker Oghre was there to cross the line.

Umaga kicked the conversion and three penalties, but there should have been another try when Josh Bassett crossed to complete a superb passing interchange which cut Quins open, but it was ruled out by referee Wayne Barnes after a video check for a Michael Le Bourgeois forward pass.

After going in at least three scores down at half-time, Quins responded quickly after the break when former England scrum-half Danny Care slipped away a neat offload for Green to race away down the right.

Esterhuizen pulled his conversion attempt, but he was on target with all his other three as Quins finally came good.

Esterhuizen sent Northmore over, Steele dashed over from close range and then Northmore's last-seconds scamper to the line completed this latest in a string of memorable comeback wins that are fast becoming a speciality for the mighty Quins.

After a break for two weekends of Premiership Cup action, Wasps' next league fixture is at home to Gloucester on Friday 26 November, while Quins will host London Irish the following day.

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett told BBC CWR:

"I was happy with the majority of what we were doing at half-time, except that we should have been further ahead. We left so many chances out there - and that disallowed try was crucial.

"We know what Quins are about. They're a team who've shown they can come back. They've done it plenty of times recently - and that first score for them so early in the second half was vital. But our discipline and too many errors cost us second half.

"Ali Crossdale is up walking around. It looks like he's ok now, but he's obviously not going to play for the next couple of weeks now - and we've also lost Zach Nearchou with a calf injury."

Harlequins head coach Tabai Matson:

"It was a game of two halves. They really stretched us in the first half and put pressure on our line-out so we became flustered and at half-time it was nowhere near close.

"We had a game plan but they tested it to the full so we needed to find solutions and rhythm which we did. When the boys are losing they seem to get real resolve and are able to get the job done.

"This was an important away win for us and come March it will prove to be a valuable five points as we chase a top-four position."

Wasps: Crossdale; Kibirige, McHenry, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Umaga, Porter; Hislop, Oghre, Toomaga-Allen, Fifita, Stooke, Shields (capt), Carr, Willis.

Replacements: Van Vuuren, Nearchou, Millar-Mills, Cardall, Young, Hougaard, Mathews, Watson.

Harlequins: Green; David, Northmore, Esterhuizen, Murley; Edwards, Care (capt); Garcia Botta, Walker, Collier, Symons, Lamb, Chisholm, Kenningham, Lawday.

Replacements: Musk, Kerrod, Louw, Tizard, Lewies, Steele, Anyanwu, Beard.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU).

• Rugby Weekly Union podcast - listen and subscribe here