Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Harlequins 24-48 Bristol Bears

Harlequins 24-48 Bristol Bears, Twickenham Stoop

Bristol Bears played spoilsport to Joe Marler's farewell as they defeated Harlequins 48-24 in the latest round of the Gallagher Premiership at Twickenham Stoop on Friday.

It was an emotionally charged evening at Twickenham Stoop as Harlequins legend Marler made his 286th and final appearance for the club.

The rugby stalwart was honored with a grand entrance alongside his young family, setting the stage for a dramatic Gallagher Premiership Round 7 clash against the unbeaten Bristol Bears.

Harlequins opened with intensity, igniting the crowd with early attacking flair. Fly-half Jarrod Evans’ clever break paved the way for captain Alex Dombrandt to cross the line, giving the hosts an early 5-0 lead.

However, Bristol Bears quickly showcased their unbeaten form. Jack Bates and Gabriel Oghre combined to create space, and Kalaveti Ravouvou finished off the move with a try making it 5-7.

Minutes later, Keiran Marmion exploited a defensive gap to set up Gabriel Ibitoye for a clinical score under the posts, extending the visitors' lead to 14-5.

The home side fought back as winger Cadan Murley intercepted a pass and sprinted 95 meters to score a stunning solo try. Luke Northmore then turned the game on its head with a powerful turnover and a dazzling 50-meter run to reclaim the lead for Quins taking the scoreline to 17-14.

Bristol responded swiftly, unleashing a flurry of offloads down the left flank, with Marmion crossing the line for their third try of the half making 17-21.

After the break, the Bears took control. Debutant Bill Mata powered over the tryline following a tap-and-go penalty, capitalizing on Simon Kerrod’s yellow card taking the score to 17-28.

With an extra man, Bristol extended their lead through AJ MacGinty’s penalty, followed by tries from Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Santiago Grondona, widening the gap to 45-17.

Quins found a late response when Tyrone Green capitalized on a loose ball to score in front of the South Stand (24-45), but MacGinty’s final penalty sealed a comprehensive 48-24 victory for the visitors.

Team line up:

Harlequins: Green; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Evans, Porter; Marler, Walker, Kerrod, Launchbury, Lamb, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt (c).

Reserves: Jibulu, Baxter, Lamostiele, Hammond, Chisholm, Care, Benson, David.

Bristol: Lane; Bates, Ravouvou, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Marmion; Woolmore, Oghre, Lahiff, Dun, Owen, Grondona, Harding (c), Mata.

Reserves: Thacker, Thomas, Chawatama, Luatua, Grondona, Lennon, Jenkins, Elizalde.