A sunny day down South sees Leicester Tigers battle hard throughout but ultimately fall to an experienced Harlequins side who just had too much physically.

The Stoop is basking in gold as the game kicks off, a relentless sun beating down on the players, conditions which are balanced beautifully with a cooling breeze. The weather doesn’t get much more perfect for rugby as Natasha Jones kicks high into the sky.

The visitors enjoy a strong start, blocking a kick to clear and Tigers carry hard to open the game, Lisa Cockburn and Leah Bartlett carrying straight before debutant Celia Quansah gets her hands on the ball for the first time, straightening her run and crashing over the gainline. Moments later, the ball is in her hands again, as scrum half Amy Relf spots space on the blindside and an effective miss-pass allows Roisin McBrien to put Quansah into space, ‘Quins fullback Emily Scott coming across to cover well.

The team’s trade possession a couple of times but, in the opening set pieces, Tigers have mixed fortunes; Natasha Jones does well to show and go through a gap from a line out, but, a few minutes later, Tigers concede a penalty on their own scrum. Quins aim to play it quickly but they’re met with a fierce Tigers defence, Charlotte Fray first making her presence felt before Quansah smashes her opposite number into touch.

That hard work is undone by a miscommunication at the line out which sees the hosts win it back 20 metres into the Tigers half and they crash all the way up the line. From here, the quarters play the phases and eventually slick hands see them find space and run it over for the game’s opening score, wing Amy Layzell the scorer.

Moments later, they have their second. From the scrum, the hosts break through and turn the screw; from a handful of metres out, on her 100th appearance for Harlequins, Shaughna Brown rides a tackle and crashes over to double the lead.

Not to be deterred, Leicester come back firing. A penalty is given for not rolling away just past half way and Jones kicks to touch on the opposition 22. A great line out from Elis Martin gets the maul rumbling; the drive is halted after a few metres but the ball comes out the back and now it’s Tigers turn to carry hard, winning a penalty under the posts and opting for the scrum.

Relfy pulls a rabbit out of the hat here as Tigers get their first try. No 8. Becky Noon picks from the base and flicks it to the scrum half on the run. She passes laterally to Jones, then makes a run out the back to receive it before whipping a looping miss-pass over several bodies to the waiting arms of Francesca McGhie. The wing won’t score an easier try all year.

Sarah Nicholas slots from the left touchline and now we’ve a game on our hands.

A succession of scrums (AKA a Dan Cole dream) sees play not leave the central third of the pitch for the next six or seven minutes as neither side can quite keep the ball. Eventually Tigers win it back and truck it up through Bartlett and Fray to set a platform to clear; but the referee pings for obstruction and a dangerous penalty is called. From here, the hosts get the maul driving and touch down.

Quins threaten to score again but Tigers continue to battle and get two vital turnovers; the first, a knock on forced by a Quansah tackle before, following a clearance, Amanda Swartz dives over a ruck expertly to clinch a turnover. From the line out, Katie Childs carries in direct and strong but a second line out sees the ball lost.

The hosts now travel back into Tigers’ 22; Childs and Nicholas stop a fellow centre in her tracks on a hard line before Fray does brilliantly to rip away possession. When Celia Quansah first joined, she spoke about the hours and hours of catching practice she did when she first picked up rugby and she puts those skills to use here, catching a fizzing pass on her toes to keep possession. However, again Tigers are penned in when Swartz’ clearance kick is charged down and the ball skids into touch. A pressure line out is won coolly and Natasha Jones manages the clearance on the second attempt.  

Quins have a last gasp at a final score before time but Tigers force a knock on and Amy Relf kicks to touch to end the half.

Half time score: Harlequins 21 – 7 Leicester Tigers

It’s a tough start to the half for the visitors.

After receiving Cromack’s kick off, Tigers are playing the phases, trucking it up to halfway but see the ball ripped away in contact. With broken field ahead of them, Quins break wide before cutting back inside and fly half Cromack the scorer.

Yet again Tigers waste no time in bouncing back. Flat hands down the line sees the side spot an overlap on the left, quickly fashioning a two on one situation on the touchline. Fullback Swartz has joined the line and takes the kick option, grubbering through for McGhie to run on at full tilt and dive over in the corner.

Momentum doesn’t stay with them however; prop Leah Bartlett is shown the yellow card for a high tackle in midfield. Jade Jones, now on for her 20th Tigers appearance and is instantly involved, firstly helping solidify the scrum before trucking up right over the gainline a couple of phases later.

Quins clear their lines but Swartz booms it right back and an admirable kick chase from Charlotte Daley, just onto the field in place of Quansah, and Katie Childs sees the latter make a big tackle on halfway before McGhie forces a knock on as the hosts try to go wide.

The conditions, you feel, are beginning to weigh on both sides, the constant heat seeing both sides struggle for consistency in their play, trading possession. A highlight of this time sees Childs, who has been really showing that Tigers toughness today, putting in yet another sizeable shot in midfield, dump tackling her opposite number.

However, it’s the hosts who finally break the deadlock and it’s lock Lochner (try saying that ten times fast) who smashes over from close range after Quins had gone through a gap in midfield.

With just ten minutes left, Tigers continue to ask questions of Quins, replacements Jones and Zoë Evans both carrying well in the centre and far side of the pitch respectively.

With just seconds left on the clock, Quins break down the right touchline. Evans does superbly to zip back and make a try-saving tackle but she can't stop the ball being flung back, picked up by supporting centre Izzy Mayhew who touches down.

Five minutes into the clock in the red, Quins put a bow on their performance with a final score.

Tigers went hammer and tongs to attempt to finish on a high, flinging the ball around but eventually losing possession; here the hosts strike, replacement Aseze Hele driving over.

With the clock in the red, the match is now over. A tough day at the office, a match with a lot of bright spots for Tigers sadly ends in defeat.

Full time score: Harlequins 47 – 12 Leicester Tigers