Harlequins kickstart the Paul Gustard era in style with 51-23 rout of Sale Sharks to banish last-season's memories

Harlequins 51-23 Sale Sharks: Two tries from summer signing Ben Tapuai set the tone for an emphatic home victory as Sale suffered their fifth consecutive opening-day defeat

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Harlequins ran in six tries to give the Paul Gustard era the perfect start as they put over 50 points past a distinctly average Sale Sharks side, ensuring that any hangovers from last season’s nightmare Premiership campaign are well and truly gone.

Both teams had their absences, Quins without co-captain James Horwill and England prop Kyle Sinckler while Sale were missing the banned Chris Ashton and South Africa international Faf de Klerk due to his Rugby Championship participation, but from half-time there was only going to be one winner of this encounter.

The victory sends Harlequins top of the table on the opening weekend - and who’d have thought that four months ago - but for Sale it appears that their away-day jitters are yet to disappear.

However, the new season is barely a week old and already Eddie Jones has his first injury worry on his hands. Tom Curry proved to be one of the few positives to emerge from the summer tour of South Africa, but his match was ended inside four minutes, albeit from his own doing. After Smith kicked Quins into an early lead when Curry was caught on the wrong side of the ruck, the England back-row attempted to make up for his indiscretion straight off the restart. But Harlequins full-back Aaron Morris beat him to the ball, and with the former Saracen airborne his right knee crunched into Curry’s face.

A lengthy break ensued with Curry needing treatment - players on both teams displaying the severity of the impact by urging medical staff onto the field - but a thumbs up as he departed on the stretcher at least allied fears somewhat.

Another injury delay, this time to Quins lock Dino Lamb, saw the encounter get off to a slow, disjointed start, much to the frustration of the 11,413 in attendance.

But this is a new era at the Twickenham Stoop. MIke Brown and Danny Care have spoken already this week of the breath of fresh air that has arrived at the club, and it is a noticeably different place this season. Gustard is now the man at the helm as far as rugby matters are concerned, the replacements have now been renamed as ‘Gamechangers’, even cash isn’t accepted at the ground anymore.

Importantly though, it is the rugby that is different, and six tries to start the season in style is full testament of the new-found confidence among Quins. The summer chat of a fresh start could easily have been dismissed as hot air had this match gone against them, but maybe Harlequins are just starting to turn it around.

It’s not just new off the pitch. On the pitch, Gustard and general manager Billy Millard’s recruitment made an immediate impact. Ben Tapuai, the powerhouse centre that has traded places with Jamie Roberts after arriving from Bath, burst over the line twice from close range, while Nathan Earle also soared over for a try to announce his arrival from Saracens.

Paul Gustard's career with Harlequins got off to a winning start (Getty)

Once the injury problems were out of the way, flowing rugby was the order of the day as 44 points were scored before the break - though there wasn’t a lot of defending going on in the south-west sunshine.

The scoring initially went blow-for-blow: man-of-the-match Marcus Smith - who finished up with 26 points - and AJ MacGinty traded penalties, Tapuai’s opening score cancelled out by MacGinty’s immediate response when Danny Care mistakenly rushed out of the line. Yet the promising aspect for the home side was that it was Harlequins doing most of the attacking, and Gustard’s desire for his side to work harder than any other team in the country may just be paying off already.

If Gustard is the hero in this story, there’s certainly a villain and it was Marland Yarde, the England wing who jumped ship midway through last season to leave the Stoop and join Sale. His name was booed when read out before kick-off and booed again when he first touched the ball, but he found the perfect response. Breaking from his own half, he passed inside to scrum-half Will Griff, wrapped round onto his right shoulder and scored the inevitable try to silence those who used to cheer him.

Tom Curry is carried off on a stretcher after injuring his head (Getty)

Yarde’s try gave Sale the lead for the first time at 17-10, but the response came in a second Smith penalty and Earle’s score on the stroke of half-time, with Morris breaking the line and putting his fellow former Saracens away for the score.

Sale were sluggish after the break, ill-discipline costing them dear as Smith’s boot stretched the lead to 30-20, and while MacGinty replied when Marler was caught offside, that was as good as it got for Sale.

Quins shifted up through the gears with tries from Joe Marchant, Smith himself and a late score from replacement hooker Max Crumpton, but it was their resolute defence to keep Sale out when camped on their line for a large chunk of the second half that really impressed - their celebrations when they forced the knock-on just as loud as the supporters’.

Ben Tapuai scores his second try of the match (Getty)

That is the Gustard way, to defend as fiercely as when in attack. The new era has lift-off, and on this performance Quins should be looking up than looking dwon this season.

Teams

Harlequins: Mike Brown; Nathan Earle, Joe Marchant (Pau Lasike, 64), Ben Tapuai, Aaron Morris; Marcus Smith, Danny Care (Charlie Mulchrone, 72); Joe Marler (Mark Lambert, 67), Elia Elia (Max Crumpton, 47), Will Collier (Phil Swainston, 80); Matt Symons, Dino Lamb (Ben Glynn, 14), Chris Robshaw, Luke Wallace, Renaldo Bothma (James Chisholm, 50).

Replacements not used: James Lang

Sale Sharks: Byron McGuigan; Denny Solomona, Sam James, Luke James (Mark Jennings, 55), Marland Yarde; AJ MacGinty, Will Cliff (Gus Warr, 73); Ross Harrison (Alexandru Tarus, 73), Rob Webber (Cameron Nield, 55), WillGriff John (Joe Jones, 67); Bryn Evans (Josh Beaumont, 55), James Phillips, Tom Curry (Josh Strauss, 3), Ben Curry, Jono Ross.

Replacements not used: Paolo Odogwu