Rampant Rhinos crush Quins
Winger Lee Smith bagged a hat-trick of tries and kicked seven goals as the Rhinos claimed a 42-22 victory at Harlequins.
Last Updated: 12/06/10 8:20pm
Winger Lee Smith bagged a hat-trick of tries and kicked seven goals as the Rhinos claimed a 42-22 victory at Harlequins.
Luke Dorn scored two of Quins' four tries but, when he crossed for the first time after half an hour, the champions were already 18-0 ahead.
Quins gifted the visitors their opening try after 11 minutes, Tony Clubb spilling a Dorn pass to give Smith the chance for a breakaway score.
And they doubled the lead four minutes later when returning scrum-half Paul McShane crossed with the minimum of fuss after Brent Webb had been held up short of the line.
Full-back Webb made amends 10 minutes later when he shrugged off a weak challenge from Luke Gale but Quins finally got their heads down and earned their just rewards when Dorn rounded off a sweeping move to reduce the deficit.
They finished the half strongly, although a Danny Orr penalty was scant consolation for their territorial advantage as they went in 16-6 behind.
Superb
But they continued their spirited fightback after the interval and Dorn raced in under the sticks just two minutes into the second period, Chris Melling converting to take the hosts to within four points.
The comeback proved short-lived though, with Luke Ambler taking a superb flat-pass from Webb to beat the defence and ease home.
And any thoughts the hosts had of victory seemed to be extinguished on 53 minutes, Smith cashing in on some Quins hesitancy after a Webb grubber to pounce.
Leeds were now easing through the gears as the home side began to crumble, and Carl Ablett added a further try as he broke through some non-existent defence.
To their credit the hosts were still showing plenty of ambition in attack, but further handling errors meant they never truly troubled the Rhinos defence.
But, as the visitors took their foot off the gas, Quins gained a second wind and added another try of their own as David Howell stretched over the line to touch down.
The hosts kept coming and when Gale stepped inside to dive over, Quins sniffed an unlikely revival.
They created another chance seconds later through Dorn, but his pass to Orr went to ground and the chance, and the game, was lost, with Smith adding a late score to rub salt into the wounds.
