Premiership: Worcester 21-29 Harlequins - Defending champions win at Sixways

Danny Care and Tyrone Green scored Quins' two first-half tries at Sixways

Defending champions Harlequins showed their class as they came from behind to claim a bonus-point win over Worcester.

Danny Care scored his 100th try for the club and also survived a second-half sin-binning as Quins won at Sixways for the first time since 2015.

It was 14-14 at the break after home tries for Noah Heward and Sione Vailanu either side of two Quins tries in quick succession from Tyrone Green and Care.

But Archie White and Tom Lawday crossed for Quins before Seb Atkinson's try.

Teenage centre Atkinson got the final score of the game for Worcester on his first Premiership start - but although Billy Searle converted, it left Warriors both a point and a try short of grabbing any bonus-point consolation for another solid showing.

While Quins stay third in the Premiership, back within a point of second-placed London rivals Saracens, Steve Diamond's Warriors remain 12th, 10 points clear of bottom club Bath.

Although he does not officially take on his new title until next season, new boss Diamond appears to have made a difference at Sixways - and it was no major surprise that Warriors went ahead, especially against a Quins side who they have beaten so regularly in recent seasons.

Full-back Heward opened the scoring wide on the right when his burst for the line looked to fall short but he managed to get his elbow up and over in what could have been construed as a double movement.

But the luckless Heward was then at fault at the other end when he slipped on the Sixways surface as he retreated back in search of an awkward scuffed high kick from Edwards and Green took full advantage, dribbling the ball before smoothly collecting it to score.

Quins went ahead for the first time when the artful Care snaked out his arm to claim a virtuoso try also converted by Edwards before Worcester responded just before the break when the powerful Vailanu thundered over for his third try this season - all of which have come at Sixways.

Fin Smith's second successful conversion levelled the scores again but within 11 minutes of the restart Quins hit the front again when White crashed over.

The conversion was missed - and there was then an even bigger concern for the visitors when they had Care yellow carded.

But last season's champions saw out the 10 minutes and then gave themselves the luxury of an eight-point cushion when Italy stand-off Tommy Allan landed a penalty.

Quins thought they had their bonus point when replacement flanker Matas Jurevicius raced clear to score what would have been his first try for the club, but the TMO overruled the on-field decision - and instead it was left to Lawday to go over four minutes from time from a scrum penalty.

Even then Atkinson had the last word as the 19-year-old, who made his debut as a replacement at Sale two weeks ago, this time had an even more special individual moment to savour - the 25th different Warriors player to score a Premiership try this season.

Worcester boss Steve Diamond told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"We didn't get the rub of the green. Sione Vailanu looked to have scored and the referee gave it as an on-field try before the officials ruled it out. He's an impressive unit. He's certainly taken on the mantle that I've offered him.

"Our defence was 90% efficient as opposed to 75% last week and we pulled off some excellent cover tackles but still dropped off a couple of crucial ones in midfield.

"They had a powerful bench and it made a big difference by putting us under huge pressure in the scrums as we haven't got that strength of depth in our squad at present to counteract that."

Harlequins boss Tabai Matson:

"We haven't won here in five visits and it was a fantastic challenge for the guys. I'm delighted that they stuck it out to sneak home in the last 10 minutes.

"When Danny Care was absent for those 10 minutes, it was really hard and it was a magnificent effort to keep our line intact.

"Their kicking game was better than ours and we gave them scoring opportunities but I'm really pleased that despite playing a very young side we came away with a win."

Worcester: Heward; Humphreys, O Morris, Atkinson, Hearle; Smith, Simpson; McCallum, Annett, Judge, Garvey, G Kitchener, Batley, Hill (capt), Vailanu.

Replacements: Miller, Waller, Tyack, A Kitchener, Clegg, Chudley, Searle, Howe.

Sin-bin: Care (56)

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

Replacements: Riley, Els, Louw, Hammond, Jurevicius, Gjaltema, Allan, Lynagh.

Referee: Christophe Ridley.

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