European Rugby Champions Cup: Harlequins beat Castres on opening night
Last Updated: 18/10/14 12:39am
Harlequins got their European Rugby Champions Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 25-9 victory over Castres in Pool 2.
The first night of European rugby's new showpiece competition got off to a slow start as neither side threatened to score a try for more than an hour at the Twickenham Stoop.
During that time Nick Evans and Rory Kockott accounted for the game's scoring, the Quins man kicking four penalties to Kockott's two.
But Evans finally created the night's highlight on 65 minutes as he cleverly chipped over the top of the advancing Castres defence, collected the ball on the bounce and kicked on for the chasing Danny Care to score by the posts.
Evans converted and although Kockott kicked his third penalty shortly afterwards, the immaculate Evans kicked two more penalties in the final 10 minutes.
Defences were dominant from the kick-off with Castres making a vast number of tackles to keep their tryline intact, although it was rarely threatened by their English opponents other than Care's try.
Castres have endured a dismal start to the Top 14, losing six of their nine games, but they raced out of the blocks at the Stoop, drawing first blood with a Kockott penalty.
It was an impressive opening, but when centre George Lowe powered into space Quins began pounding at the visiting defence.
Ibrahim Diarra produced an important turnover, but with Chris Robshaw playing a prominent role the Aviva Premiership club were able to renew their attack.
Aimless
Some aimless kicking hampered their momentum but with Care sniping from scrum-half to good effect, they continued to apply pressure.
Evans landed a penalty to level the score and when man of the match Luke Wallace romped free from a line-out Castres were sent hurtling backwards.
Quins won a scrum against the head and Nick Easter roamed down the blindside but wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma was caught as soon as he gathered the number eight's pass.
A disappointing game continued with Quins securing plenty of possession but struggling to make any meaningful inroads.
Castres' defence was proving hard to break down, but in attack they were unable to reproduce the fire that marked their opening to the match.
Joe Marler had been receiving treatment on his shoulder, but the England loosehead was instrumental in winning a penalty at the scrum that Evans steered between the uprights.
Three points from Kockott levelled the score, but Quins finally opened up some daylight with two penalties from Evans.
Quins were gaining a significant foothold at the scrum, but it was the quick thinking of Evans that did the telling damage, enabling Care to score.
Evans then rifled over two more penalties to complete a rout that had appeared unlikely at half-time.