The Prem
Northampton (33) 66
Tries: Fischetti 2, Coles 3, Mitchell, Freeman, Todaro 2, F Smith Cons: F Smith 7
Harlequins (14) 21
Tries: Cleaves, Dombrandt Cons: M Smith 2
Alex Coles scored a hat-trick as Northampton Saints produced an irresistible 10-try performance to demolish Harlequins and return to the top of the Prem table.
Saints breached the Quins’ defence almost at will in the first-half with Danilo Fischetti, Coles, Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman all getting their names on the scoresheet.
Cassius Cleaves and Alex Dombrandt responded for Quins, but two further scores each from Coles and Edoardo Todaro, plus one from Fin Smith, in the second half secured another breathtaking Saints victory.
They will be concerned, however, about an injury suffered by captain Fraser Dingwall, who was carried off wearing a neck brace close to half-time.
After Bath went to the top of the table with a dramatic win over Exeter earlier in the day, Northampton fell behind within minutes of the start.
Benefitting from quick ball, the visitors drove into the Saints’ 22, before Marcus Smith eventually found Cleaves on a perfect line to split the home defence before dotting down.
Both sides then spurned chances, with George Turner inches away from a try on his first league start, before Saints levelled the scores.
A scintillating break down the wing involving George Hendy and James Ramm saw them progress to the Quins’ line, which was then promptly breached by the rampaging Fischetti.
In sparkling form, full-back Hendy was also instrumental in the Saints’ second try, running a beautiful loop to isolate defenders, before offloading to Ramm who eventually fed Coles for another superb attacking score.
A third soon followed for Phil Dowson’s men, with Quins unable to deal with the speed of the attack, and quick offloading from Fischetti and Coles freed scrum-half Mitchell, who had no difficulty in reaching the line.
Fischetti then inflicted further pain on Quins by scoring his second from Mitchell’s offload to secure the bonus point well before the interval.
Harlequins responded with their second from a perfectly executed set-piece move from a lineout in the 22, which saw the ball quickly recycled through Chandler Cunningham-South to Dombrandt, who dived over untouched in the corner.
It was to prove only a temporary respite as, with seemingly nothing on, Mitchell danced his way around multiple defenders in midfield before feeding Freeman, who evaded Nick David as Saints reached the interval 33-14 in front.
The game, unsurprisingly, did not continue at quite the same ferocious pace in the second half, but that did not prevent Saints from adding to their lead.
Craig Wright was just one of numerous players battering at the Quins line, before the ball found its way to Coles, who proved unstoppable from point blank range.
Todaro then got in on the scoring, the Italy winger the beneficiary of further wizardry from Hendy to sprint away and dive over untouched.
Northampton’s eighth try was more fortuitous than well-crafted, with Smith the happy recipient following a pass from Anthony Belleau that rebounded off the head of JJ van der Mescht.
Yet another spectacular score followed, however, when Todaro powered his way through four Quins tacklers to secure his brace before Dombrandt added his second as a consolation after a break from Rodrigo Isgro.
Saints were not done, with Coles getting his hat-trick with the final score of the game as they returned to the top, two points clear of Bath.
The result left Harlequins in eighth, one point above Gloucester in ninth.
Northampton: Hendy; Todaro, Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Ramm; F Smith, Mitchell; Fischetti, R Smith, Millar Mills, Coles, Van der Mescht, Kemeny, Pearson, Chick.
Replacements: Wright, Scola, Kundiona, Prowse, Graham, McParland, Belleau, Hutchinson.
Harlequins: David; Isgro, Northmore, Evans, Cleaves; M Smith, Friday; Hobson, Turner, H Williams, Pagadizábal, Treadwell, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt (capt).
Replacements: Riley, Kerrod, Delgado, E Williams, Launchbury, Carr, Porter, Bradley.
Referee: Sara Cox.
