Exeter top-four hopes hit by superb Quins comeback

Exeter top-four hopes hit by superb Quins comebackImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Harlequins scored 27 unanswered points during the second half against ExeterByGideon BrooksBBC Sport EnglandPublished16 May 2026, 18:06 BST20 CommentsUpdated 2 minutes agoThe PremHarlequins (14) 41Tries: Kenningham, Northmore, Murley, Porter, Evans, Wenger Cons: Smith 3 Pens: Smith Exeter (24) 24Tries: Ridl, Varney, Norey, Ikitau Cons: Slade 2 Harlequins put a dent in Exeter Chiefs' play-off hopes with a blistering 41-24 come-from-behind Prem victory to boost their own aspirations of Champions Cup rugby next season.Leading 24-14 at half-time, fourth-placed Chiefs had looked set to further cement their hopes of competing for a spot in the Prem final.But after a second-half blitz from a youthful Quins side, which scored 27 unanswered points, the visitors were left nervously contemplating two difficult games against Leicester and Saracens in order to book their post-season place.Twickenham's Allianz Stadium proved a very different place in a first half that Chiefs dominated, notching four tries and a bonus point, than the second period when they could not live with Quins' energy.Worryingly for Exeter, who made a raft of changes in an effort to regather momentum and control, they gained neither with their hosts running in four second-half tries as the Chiefs finished a man light after a late yellow card.Nothing in the opening period had suggested the ultimate outcome as Exeter eased to a 12-0 lead in the first 10 minutes, Campbell Ridl and Stephen Varney capitalising on great build-up play from Harvey Skinner and Paul Brown-Bampoe respectively.The latter bulldozed his way down the right wing leaving Quins, plural, trampled underfoot while Skinner's kicking was incisive and accurate.A Jack Kenningham try, which Marcus Smith converted, pulled it back to 12-7 but when hooker Max Norey got on the end of a well-worked lineout routine on 26 minutes and Len Ikitau ran...