Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Marcus Smith's late conversion miss sees Harlequins eliminated

By PA
(Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

England star Marcus Smith suffered missed conversion misery as comeback kings Harlequins fell agonisingly short of another spectacular recovery act despite beating Heineken Champions Cup opponents Montpellier 33-20. The Quins fly-half drifted a straightforward conversion attempt of wing Louis Lyangh’s 75th-minute try wide, and Montpellier won the round-of-16 clash 60-59 on aggregate.

ADVERTISEMENT

The English champions, 14 points adrift after last weekend’s first leg when they trailed 34-0 at one stage, looked on course to secure a European last-eight spot for the first time since 2013. They needed to evoke memories of last season’s stunning Gallagher Premiership playoff victory over Bristol when Quins were 28 points down before winning after extra time.

And first-half tries from full-back Huw Jones, number eight Alex Dombrandt, centre Joe Marchant and Lynagh – all converted by Smith – underlined Harlequins’ appetite for another memorable turnaround. Montpellier, the French Top 14 league leaders, stayed in contention through tries centre Yvan Reilhac and full-back Julien Tisseron. Fly-half Louis Forsans kicked two conversions and a penalty, while South African World Cup winner Handre Pollard added a penalty to edge Montpellier through.

Video Spacer

The Honey Badger – Nick Cummins joins Ryan and Max | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 29

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      The Honey Badger – Nick Cummins joins Ryan and Max | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 29

      Quins showed a solitary change from last weekend’s defeat, with flanker Will Evans preferred to Tom Lawday in the back row. Montpellier boss Philippe Saint-Andre, though, made 13 switches, including South Africa’s World Cup-winning fly-half Pollard lining up at inside centre and former Bath number eight Zach Mercer – a two-try performer six days ago – on the bench.

      It took Harlequins just 33 seconds to open their account as they struck from a first visit to Montpellier’s 22. Dombrandt surged through a huge gap in the Montpellier defence, and his pass sent an unmarked Jones sprinting over for a try that Smith converted. Pollard missed a long-range penalty chance to open Montpellier’s account, but the visitors were level after 11 minutes when Forsans’ sharp break was rewarded by a strong finish from Reilhac.

      Related

      Pollard’s conversion tied things up, only for Quins to score from their next attack as quickly recycled possession produced enough space for a Dombrandt try, again converted by Smith. Montpellier stayed firmly in the contest, though, and a Forsans penalty cut their deficit midway through the second quarter and underlined the size of Quins’ task. Quins then scored a stunning third try after a length-of-the-field move started by Smith. He could have taken a safe option of kicking to touch, but he opted to run instead, before sending wing Cadan Murley clear, and he delivered a scoring pass that Marchant gratefully accepted.

      Smith again added the extras as Quins looked to take charge, yet Montpellier hit back eight minutes before half-time when Tisseron touched down following more impressive work by Foursans, who added the conversion and made it 21-17. But a breathless first half had one more try to deliver, and it was Quins who pounced for the fourth time.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      A strong attacking scrum provided exactly the platform they required and Lynagh scored in the corner, with Smith’s touchline conversion putting Quins 11 points ahead at the interval. Quins could not add to their tally in the third quarter, and a Pollard penalty meant that Montpellier had a six-point aggregate advantage with 25 minutes left. But Quins laid siege to the Montpellier line during a spell of concerted scrum pressure as a pulsating encounter entered its final instalment.

      Referee Mike Adamson was lenient on the French side, opting not to show a yellow card despite them conceding eight successive, but his patience then snapped and replacement hooker Jeremie Maurouard was sin-binned. Smith then pounced for what appeared to be Quins’ fifth try, but Jones was penalised for crossing, and Montpellier escaped as the clock ticked down.

      Lynagh then sent the Harlequins fans wild when he claimed his second try five minutes from time, but the missed conversion from Smith meant that Montpellier prevailed.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

      Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

      Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

      Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

      Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

      England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

      Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

      Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      m
      mark john 4 hours ago
      Crusaders rookie earns 'other than Dupont' praise from All Blacks star

      It was a cold evening when I realized I had lost everything. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at my empty crypto wallet. Three hundred thousand dollars’ worth of Bitcoin—gone. I had fallen victim to an elaborate scam, a promise of high returns that had turned into my worst nightmare.I had always been cautious with my investments, but these scammers were professionals. They posed as a legitimate crypto investment firm, complete with a polished website, convincing testimonials, and even fake regulatory approvals. Their scheme was perfect—until it wasn’t. After weeks of trying to recover my funds on my own, filing complaints, and chasing shadows, I almost gave up. That’s when I stumbled upon Galaxy Ethical Tech, a company renowned for its expertise in ethical tech solutions and cryptocurrency fraud recovery. Skeptical yet desperate, I reached out to Galaxy Ethical Tech through their official website. Within hours, I received a response from their lead investigator, Daniel Carter. His calm yet confident tone gave me a renewed sense of hope. We’ve handled cases like yours before,” he assured me. “If the scammers haven’t moved your Bitcoin through an extensive network of tumblers, there’s a good chance we can track it. I handed over all the details—wallet addresses, transaction IDs, emails, and even chat logs with the scammers. Within 48 hours, their team of blockchain analysts got to work.Galaxy Ethical Tech used advanced blockchain forensics to trace the movement of my stolen Bitcoin. Every transaction left a digital footprint, and with their AI-driven tracking tools, they followed the money trail. It turned out that the scammers had transferred my Bitcoin through a series of crypto mixers, attempting to break the chain of traceability. However, Galaxy Ethical Tech had access to specialized de-anonymization algorithms and partnerships with global cybersecurity agencies. One breakthrough came when they identified a suspicious transaction leading to a centralized exchange. Using legal channels and law enforcement partnerships, they froze the scammer’s wallet before they could cash out.After two intense weeks, I received an email from Galaxy Ethical Tech: We’ve recovered your lost Bitcoin. Expect the full amount in your wallet within 24 hours. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I checked my wallet obsessively until, finally, my 300,000 BTC was back.You don’t know what this means to me,” I said, my voice shaking.He chuckled. “Just another day at Galaxy Ethical Tech. Stay safe, and always verify before you trust. Losing my Bitcoin was a nightmare, but it taught me valuable lessons: Never trust unsolicited investment opportunities. Always verify the legitimacy of crypto platforms. Use secure wallets and enable two-factor authentication. If scammed, act fast and contact professionals like Galaxy Ethical Tech.Thanks to their ethical approach and cutting-edge technology, I got a second chance. If you ever find yourself in a crypto scam, don’t lose hope—there are still heroes in the digital world.

      contact them via Email: galaxyethicaltech@mail.com Whatsapp: +15072712442 Telegram: Galaxy_ethical_tech

      5 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war
      Search