Premiership: Harlequins 29-24 Wasps - First win in four matches for Quins

Huw Jones scored Harlequins' second of five tries

Harlequins ended a run of three Premiership defeats in a row as they held off a late Wasps fightback.

Tries from Oscar Beard, Huw Jones, Cadan Murley and Andre Esterhuizen looked to have secured a comfortable win for the hosts as they went 24-3 up.

Tom Willis reduced the deficit for the visitors before Louis Lynagh crossed for Quins' fifth try.

Sam Spink and Jeff Toomaga-Allen added tries late in the game for Wasps to secure a losing bonus point.

Harlequins climb up to third, while Wasps fall to seventh in the table.

Hooker Tom Cruse had to be replaced by Gabriel Ohgre after picking up an injury in the opening minutes in a nightmare start for the visitors.

But Wasps' fit-again England flanker Jack Willis came on six minutes into the second half for his first appearance since undergoing medial collateral ligament surgery in his left knee against Italy at Twickenham a year ago.

Danny Care's quick tap-penalty set up Beard to run the ball into the corner for the game's first try and his third of the season.

Jones then went over by the posts to score as the home side's sustained pressure sucked in Wasps, who found themselves open on the far side.

Things opened up for the hosts in the second half when Murley found a gap to cross for a simple third Quins try.

Care was again involved as he set up Esterhuizen to score and secure the bonus point for the defending Premiership champions.

Tom Willis then pulled a try back for the visitors on the right-hand side before replacement Lynagh darted home to add another for Quins.

Spink and Toomaga-Allen's late scores narrowed the deficit but there was not enough time left to complete a comeback.

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Harlequins senior coach Tabai Matson:

"I think any time you score four or more tries is really positive for us - that's one of the things we pride ourselves on, the positive intent.

"There's lots we can tidy up - our line-out in the second half wasn't great and we'd like that platform to be much better leading into the next three or four games.

"We had the wind at our backs in the first half and it probably set up the start of the second half, where we knew we had to get amongst them early."

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett:

"You don't know, come the end of the season, where that point will put us.

"I'm happy with the fightback, in terms of getting a point out of this when it didn't look like it was going that way, but I think there are a lot of things in that game we'll look at.

"Harlequins were definitely the best team at the breakdown, we struggled with a bit of continuity off the back while on the flipside I thought they were really good at their attacking breakdown.

"They got quick ball and when you give Harlequins quick ball, they can pick you off and I don't think you're going to come here and win much if you concede five tries."

Harlequins: Green; Beard, Jones, Esterhuizen, Murley; Edwards, Care; Marler, Walker, Collier, Symons, Tizard, Lewies (capt), Wallace, White.

Replacements: Riley, Kerrod, Louw, Chisholm, Lawday, Gjaltema, Allan, Lynagh.

Wasps: Umaga; Odogwu, Spink, Mills, Bassett; Atkinson, Robson (capt); West, Cruse, Alo, Gaskell, Stooke, Fifita, Morris, T Willis.

Replacements: Oghre, Hislop Toomaga-Allen, Carr, J Willis, Porter, Gopperth, Watson.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (RFU).

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