Quins get kick out of Carling

WITH the advent of professionalism, rugby union coaches are beginning to sound like their football counterparts at this stage of the season. Harlequins went into this match third in the Courage Championship and no chance of the title but with plenty still to play for.

"Our target has to be Europe," said Dick Best, Quins' director of coaching, in the match programme, reckoning that four wins from six matches could see his team into next year's European Cup. They clocked up the first of them against a Bristol side which was at times little short of pathetic. While Quins played like a team who had spent Christmas on a health farm, Bristol performed as if they had been on a fortnight's binge.

Quins were always positive, running the ball from deep positions whenever possible and handling with impressive dexterity. Their reward was five sparkling tries. The most Bristol had to offer was an undercurrent of niggling violence, although flanker Martin Corry struggled to inject some life into his colleagues. Their pale, frail young Welsh stand-off, Arwel Thomas, who was watched by his country's coach Kevin Bowring, made a couple of breaks in the second half, but largely confined himself to kicking, not always effectively.

Harlequins' back row of Gareth Allison, Rory Jenkins and Chris Sheasby were rampant, while their lively scrum-half Rob Kitchin helped himself to a hat-trick of tries.

If Quins had had a kicker, they could have been out of sight by half- time instead of holding a comfortable 18-0 lead. In the absence of the injured David Pears, full-back Chris Wright missed a couple of easy penalties early on. Will Carling, who had a dynamic game in front of England's manager Jack Rowell, volunteered to take the next and with a short wind-up whacked the ball over from 30 metres. However, it was the only kick Quins managed all afternoon.

Their first try came after 29 minutes when Mick Watson finished off a rolling maul. Three minutes later, a flowing move ended with Spencer Bromley squeezing over in the left corner. Slick interplay between Sheasby and Jenkins put in Kitchin for his first try just before half-time.

Bristol went into the second half as if their hangover had lifted. For 20 minutes they dominated territorially, but rarely looked like breaching the Quins' defence. Kevin Maggs and Corry were held up on the line, but the only reward for their pressure was a drop goal by Thomas, when a try seemed possible if he had opened it up.

The only thing Bristol won after that was a yellow card for lock Garath Archer, who appeared to be punished as much for others' transgressions as for the punch he appeared to throw. Quins soaked up pressure and broke out to put Kitchin in for his other two tries, the first set up by Will Greenwood, the second by his own dummy. Wright missed the last kick, upon which the cry was heard "Bring back Will!"

Harlequins: C Wright; S Hague, W Carling, W Greenwood, S Bromley; P Challinor, R Kitchin; J Leonard (capt), S Mitchell, A Mullins, A Snow, M Watson, G Allison, R Jenkins, C Sheasby.

Bristol: P Hull (capt); B Breeze, S Martin, K Maggs, G Sharp; A Thomas, K Bracken; A Sharp, M Regan, D Hinkins, P Adams, G Archer, M Corry, E Rollitt, J Pearson (R Armstrong, 25).

Referee: D Chapman (Yorkshire).