Premiership: Harlequins 40-5 Exeter Chiefs - Quins impress in Big Game 14

Joe Marchant took his tally to six tries so far this season for Harlequins

Harlequins thrashed Exeter 40-5 to win Big Game 14 at Twickenham and move up to fifth place in the Premiership.

After Caden Murley's early score, Exeter had Harvey Skinner sin-binned and Quins added three more against 14 as Josh Bassett, Sam Riley and Joe Marchant secured a bonus point.

Jack Innard got Exeter on the board early in the second half.

But a second try for Marchant and one for Stephan Lewies completed the rout as Exeter drop to seventh.

The victory extended Harlequins' unbeaten run in their Big Game series at Twickenham to nine matches - they were last beaten at RFU headquarters by Saracens in December 2011.

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Having seen Josh Bassett yellow-carded for a fifth-minute deliberate knock-on, Quins should have gone behind soon after when Scott Sio knocked on Jacques Vermeulen's pass with the try line wide open.

Having been released by England, Marcus Smith impressed on his first Premiership start since October

Despite Quins being down to 14 men, Marcus Smith showed why fans were delighted he was released by England as his wonderful chip over the Exeter line set Andre Esterhuizen free and he fed Murley for the opening try.

Player of the match Smith's tactical kicking was superb and he was at the centre of much that was good about his side's at times scintillating attacking play.

Skinner departed for the sin bin for a dangerous tackle on James Chisholm midway through the half and less than two minutes later Bassett added the second as Olly Woodburn made a mistake in the Chiefs defensive line and the former Wasps winger raced through the hole he had left and on to Esterhuizen's pass.

It got worse for Exeter as first Danny Care spun off the back of a maul and delivered an audacious pass behind his back to replacement prop Riley for his first Premiership try, and then two minutes later a seven- pass move that began on Quins' own 40-metre line ended in Marchant going over, with Smith again having a part to play.

When Exeter did get a chance, they blew it - they fashioned an overlap in the final minute of the half, but Josh Hodge's pass to a free Jack Nowell on the right wing missed his target.

Having seen Nowell make a try-saving tackle on Nick David soon after the restart, Innard was mauled over from a five-metre lineout as Exeter finally opened their account.

But another irresistible attack ended with a try as Care chipped through for Marchant to score in the corner with 23 minutes left and the rout was completed when Lewies went over from a rolling maul as Quins repeated their 2021 Premiership final win over Exeter at Twickenham.

Harlequins head coach Tabai Matson:

"Marcus [Smith] has come in, he knows what he needs to do and he knows the game well. What you saw is a guy that can find space, run, pass or kick. He's passionate and he's demonstrative when he does something well, that was him at his best.

"What you saw was a masterclass in finding space. That's the best thing he could've done, he did what Steve asked of him - he bossed the game and made it difficult.

"Danny [Care] is special for me, he's such an indicator for greatness. But if you ask the coaches who won that, they'd say the loose forwards were unbelievable."

Exeter head coach Ali Hepher told BBC Radio Devon:

"The players are always trying and they're the ones that hurt the most. They'll have absolutely tried their hardest, but just not necessarily in the right direction.

"We've just got to reset a little bit, we've got to move forward, we've got a big game against Newcastle at home next week and make sure we're in a frame of mind to bring the utmost intensity and speed we can bring to a game, which we probably didn't do today.

"But you've got to say full credit to Quins, they were quality right the way throughout the game - the speed they brought to it, the variations they had and they were able to find space and quick ball that made it difficult for us."

Harlequins: David; Murley, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Bassett; Smith, Care; Marler, Head, Louw, Lamb, Lewies (capt), Kenningham, Chisholm, Lawday.

Replacements: Riley, Baxter, Kerrod, Herbst, Evans, Wallace, Steele, Northmore.

Exeter: Hodge; Nowell (capt), Whitten, Kata, Woodburn; Skinner, S Maunder; Sio, Innard, Williams, Gray, Jenkins, Vermeulen, Tshiunza, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Yeandle, Southworth, Street, Dunn, Ewers, J Maunder, J Simmonds, Hendrickson.

Referee: Matthew Carley

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