Bristol Harlequins RFC

Try(s): Christie Maclaurin (sponsored by Hamilton Lodge Fishguard), Billy McGowan (sponsored by JD Carpentry & Building Services), Ryan Morgan (sponsored by VX3), Ed Wander (sponsored by Heritage Sheds & Fencing), Lee Pearce (2) (sponsored by Bristol Scrap Metal), Finn Belcher (sponsored by Gerard Attree), Joshua Larke-Phillips (sponsored by Gerard Attree)

Conversion(s): David Priddy (5) (sponsored by Living Colour Tattoo)

Yellow(s): Louis Meacham

Bristol Harlequins avenged their November defeat to Old Redcliffians III in emphatic fashion, running in eight tries in testing conditions at Valhalla. With a packed crowd for the club’s first-ever annual Ladies Day, Quins delivered a dominant performance to mark the occasion in style.

The hosts flew out of the blocks, scoring twice inside the opening ten minutes. Christie Maclaurin and Billy McGowan both crossed the whitewash, with David Priddy adding the extras to put Quins 14-0 up. Reds responded five minutes later with a try of their own, but Quins quickly restored their lead as Ryan Morgan intercepted a pass on halfway and raced home for a third score. Moments later, Quins secured the bonus point in style. Finn Belcher made a strong break before offloading to Ed Wander, who powered over the line, with Priddy keeping his 100% record from the tee. Quins weren’t done there—an instinctive lineout move saw Maclaurin flick the ball inside to Lee Pearn, who crashed over. The first-half dominance continued as Belcher rounded off the opening 40 minutes with a well-taken score out wide, giving Quins a commanding 38-7 lead at the break.

The second half was a slower affair, but Quins continued to control proceedings. Lee Pearn grabbed his second of the afternoon at the back of a driving maul before a handling error from Reds gifted Joshua Larke-Phillips an opportunistic try. Priddy slotted his fifth conversion to take Quins past the 50-point mark. With ten minutes to go, Quins were reduced to 14 men when Louis Meacham was sent to the sin bin for kicking the ball away. Reds capitalized on the numerical advantage, slipping through for a consolation try in the muddy conditions, but it was too little, too late.

A brilliant all-round performance from Quins, showcasing attacking flair and defensive resilience, rounded off a memorable day for the club.

Report: Dean Jones / 📷 Gareth Belcher