Bordeaux 41-42 Harlequins: Quins triumph in Champions Cup thriller and seal semi-final spot for the first time – as visitors score six tries to pull off historic upset

The locals flooded into Stade Chaban-Delmas, booed Marcus Smith and settled again to look at one other rout of outclassed English guests, solely to finish up witnessing a momentous, historic upset.

This was a bonkers and sensible quarter-final that went straight into Champions Cup folklore as Harlequins shocked Bordeaux in defiance of all pre-match expectations. 

By rights, there needs to be folks lining the streets of Twickenham and Guildford to welcome residence director of rugby Billy Millard’s conquering heroes. They delivered one of many best outcomes ever achieved by a Premiership aspect in a European competitors.

After Bordeaux captain Maxime Lucu’s conversion shot for glory drifted broad with 4 minutes left of this pulsating encounter, performed below a scorching solar in entrance of a crowd of almost 30,000, Quins – who had led by 16 factors – lastly established some order for simply lengthy sufficient to seal their wonderful feat. That they had scored six tries and so had their opponents.

The reward for this thunderous, riotous efficiency is the prospect of a visit to Toulouse to face Antoine Dupont and Co within the final 4, except Exeter Chiefs can strike one other unlikely blow for the Premiership this afternoon. That’s definitely what Quins did.

Harlequins pulled off a historic upset to beat Bordeaux and attain the Champions Cup semis

Will Porter ran in two tries for the guests and deputised for Danny Care at scrum-half beautifully

Context is essential. Attempt to make sense of this: three weeks earlier, Millard’s males had been thrashed by Saracens at Tottenham Stadium – dropping 52-7. Per week earlier than this match, Saracens – the current English champions – had come to this similar metropolis and been put to the sword. Their 45-12 defeat to Bordeaux within the last-16 conflict adopted a 55-15 pool-stage defeat towards the identical heavyweight Gallic membership.

The notion was that Quins had been there for the taking, however a lot for that concept. As a substitute, they ran riot, delivering a couple of strive of the season contender alongside the way in which – particularly when Alex Dombrandt produced a sensational off-load that allowed Will Porter to chip forward, collect and rating for the second time.

Porter was deputising for Danny Care at scrum-half and did so in very good type. Likewise, up entrance, Fin Baxter lined up at loosehead prop, the place Joe Marler is the same old first alternative, and performed his half in a scrum onslaught – in a strong alliance with tighthead Will Collier – that left Bordeaux’s vaunted pack in disarray. 

Visiting groups hardly ever inflict such indignities on French packs in entrance of their passionate followers, who take scrummaging extraordinarily severely and prize props as a lot as playmakers.

‘It was immense,’ Millard mentioned. ‘We had been attempting to take care of them as huge boys in that warmth, however we simply could not take them off as a result of they weren’t simply maintaining us within the recreation, they had been main the sport for us. The place they needed to go bodily and mentally, I am unsure, however they gave us an enormous platform to play with.’

Porter chipped forward earlier than gathering the ball and scoring for the second time within the thriller

Harlequins’ jubilant gamers celebrated with their travelling supporters after the ultimate whistle

Stephan Lewies, the Quins captain, added: ‘When folks consider us they do not consider scrums and mauls, however our props, all our entrance row, and Adam Jones the scrum coach, labored arduous this week. They noticed a chance and had a plan that labored.

‘We’re actually proud, however we’re not carried out but. We need to obtain one thing particular.’

That’s definitely what they did right here yesterday with the back-rowers additionally contributing to the trigger. 

Chandler Cunningham-South wrought havoc along with his ball-carrying, Dombrandt’s affect grew as the sport wore on and Will Evans touched down from shut vary, in addition to being a formidable nuisance on the breakdown.

Evans mentioned: ‘I really feel like we’re driving a loopy wave in the meanwhile and I do not need it to cease.’