Gilmore's half-time discipline warning steers Harlequins to 31-28 comeback win at Exeter

Harlequins recovered from a chaotic first half to beat Exeter Chiefs 31-28 at Sandy Park, with head coach Jason Gilmore crediting a sharp reduction in penalties after the interval as the decisive factor in a result that extends their winning run to three games in all competitions.

Quins had raced into a 14-0 lead inside 11 minutes, but gifted Exeter a route back into the contest by conceding nine penalties and a yellow card in a damaging 20-minute spell that allowed the Chiefs to level at 14-14 by half-time.

“We attacked well and defended well in the early stages, went 14-0 up, and I thought we looked comfortable,” Gilmore said. “Then we went eight or nine penalties on the bounce against us, which was poor, and a yellow card, and we gave Exeter good field position. They have a big, physical pack and they went to their power game, and their pick and drive, and I was really disappointed with the boys in that 20-minute period.”

Gilmore’s message at the break was straightforward. “I said to the boys at half-time, if we can stop giving penalties away and get our hands back on the ball, we will be alright,” he said. “And I don’t think we gave away a penalty again until the last minute of the game, when we went back-to-back and the boys gave me a bit of a heart attack, but I am really proud of them.”

The turnaround is all the more striking given that Harlequins were hammered 48-0 by Gloucester less than a month ago. Gilmore, however, insisted no tactical overhaul has driven the improvement. “We are building and there are going to be bumps in the road, and Gloucester just wasn’t good enough, but it was more about just getting back on the horse and the boys having confidence and belief in what we have been doing,” he said. “We are now so clear on our game model that we are just not deviating from that.”

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter was candid about his side’s failings, pointing to a staggering 10 turnovers in the opening 15 minutes alone. “It was a little bit the tale of our season — we were losing ball over and over again, and for us to still be in it at the death after the number of basic mistakes we made is probably a credit to our work ethic and resilience,” he said.

Despite winning only one of their first five league games, Exeter remain just six points off the play-off places. Baxter remained measured about their prospects. “If we can get three wins back to back when we resume in December, we will probably be in the top four, and that’s not beyond us,” he added.