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Harlequins blitz Stormers to kickstart their Champions Cup campaign
By PA
Alex Dombrandt and Cadan Murley plundered hat-tricks as Harlequins’ Investec Champions Cup campaign was given lift off with a 53-16 victory over the Stormers.
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A week after falling to Racing 92 in Paris, Quins produced an eight-try demolition of South African visitors who were missing seven Springboks to injury including Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse and Frans Malherbe.
The irrepressible Dombrandt and Murley took centre stage in front of England coach Steve Borthwick, who was watching from the stands, as the hosts ended a two-match losing run.
Marcus Smith lasted 66 minutes in a pleasing end to his week after signing a new contract that keeps him at the club until 2028 and he was joined at half-back by Danny Care, who was given a rare start this season.
The Stormers’ collapse completed a bleak day for South African teams in the competition following earlier defeats by the Bulls and Sharks, the trio conceding 139 points between them.
Yet they initially made light of their underdog status by taking a 6-0 lead through two Jurie Matthee penalties and even threatening the home line.
But a fumble by Stefan Ungerer under pressure from Care at an otherwise solid scrum under the posts was seized upon by Dombrandt, who fed the ball to Murley and the wing used his strength to score.
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The Stormers made a mess of a chance to break from their 22 that began with Care’s underpowered kick pass and Quins’ shaky start continued when lock Irne Herbst was shown a yellow card for high tackle on opposite number Salmaan Moerat.
But they produced their best passage of play with Herbst off the pitch as they made ground through a line-out drive before carries from Tyrone Green and Rodrigo Isgro softened up the defence with Care providing the finishing touch.
Care turned provider for his side’s third try by darting forward and feeding the supporting Dombrandt, whose running line swept him over.
Quins entered the interval 19-6 ahead and in full control, their sluggish opening a distant memory, and they kept the scoreboard moving with a Smith penalty.
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Dombrandt was flattened after running into a brick wall and in the same passage of play, Ungerer was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock on before Dombrandt finished a line-out drive.
The skipper’s second try sealed the bonus point and in the 57th minute he completed his hat-trick after Smith and Care played prominent roles in a slick counter-attack.
The Stormers’ defence was crumbling at a point when Quins were hitting full stride, enabling Murley to strike twice in two minutes.
The England prospect’s first was assisted by a sublime offload from George Hammond, while Dombrandt was involved in the second, although Murley himself started the sweeping move.
Angelo Davids joined Ungerer in the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle and Quins took advantage when Care set up a try for replacement hooker Sam Riley, although the Stormers had the final say with a JC Mars try.
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