The heavy rain was not helping matters but Harlequins continued to play in the same Harlem Globetrotters’ spirit. Conditions be damned. They had their reward with what may have been the best try of the lot. Quins looked to be on the back foot but Care went blindside where hulking flanker Tom Lawday produced an offload that a Fijian back would have been proud of to put replacement Luke Northmore away. Wing Lynagh stayed on his shoulder and there would be no catching the son of the Wallabies legend.
Northampton remained within a score, even when Edwards added a penalty and both Care and Rory Hutchinson were sin-binned for a fracas. That was until Dombrandt peeled off the back of a five-metre scrum with the clock turned red.
Harlequins are up to third and emphatically proved they are not a one-season wonder.
Match details
Scoring sequence: 0-5, Augustus; 0-7, Biggar con; 5-7 Dombrandt try; 7-7, Edwards con; 7-12, August try; 7-14, Biggar con; 7-19, Waller try; 7-21, Biggar con; 12-21, Murley con; 14-21, Edwards con; 19-21, Murley try; 21-21, Edwards con; 21-24, Biggar pen; 26-24, Dombrandt try; 26-27, Biggar pen; 31-27, Lynagh try; 34-27, Edwards pen; 39-27, Dombrandt try; 41-27, Esterhuizen con.
Harlequins: T.Green; L.Lynagh (H Jones, 69), J.Marchant, A.Esterhuizen, C.Murley (L Northmore, 53); W.Edwards (L.Gjaltema, 76), D.Care; J.Marler (S Garcia Botta, 77), J.Walker (J Musk, 77), W.Collier (S Kerrod, 67), M.Symons, S.Lewies (H Tizard, 62), T.Lawday (V.Taulani, 79), J.Kenningham, A.Dombrandt.
Sin-bin: Care 74-80.
Replacements not used: J.Musk, S.Garcia Botta, S.Kerrod, H.Tizard, V.Taulani, L.Gjaltema, L.Northmore, H.Jones.
Northampton: G.Furbank; O.Sleightholme, M.Proctor (R Hutchinson, 31), F.Dingwall, C.Skosan; D.Biggar, A.Mitchell; A.Waller (N Auterac, 62), S.Matavesi (J Fish, 64), E.Painter (P Hill, 41), D.Ribbans, A.Ratuniyarawa (A Coles, 62), C.Lawes, L.Ludlam (capt), J.Augustus (T Wood, 57).
Replacements not used: J.Fish, N.Auterac, P.Hill. A.Coles, T.Wood, T.James, R.Hutchinson, A.Tuala.
Sin-bin: Hutchinson, 74-80.
Referee: W.Barnes (RFU).
Attendance: 72,785
