A last-gasp penalty try gave Harlequins a dramatic bonus-point victory over table toppers Exeter that breathed new life into their Gallagher Premiership season.

Joe Simmonds’ one-man masterclass, including two tries, three penalties and three conversions, had looked like enough for the Chiefs in a topsy-turvy encounter at the Stoop.

But Quins battered the line at the death as they chased a first league win in over a month and were rewarded with a late victory to move into sixth place.

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They looked to have grabbed it when Gabriel Ibitoye went over, but referee Christophe Ridley had blown too early, and Quins were seemingly denied.

But the Chiefs, with first Ollie Devoto and then Alec Hepburn sent to the sin bin in a madcap finish, could not hold out forever and a final Quins scrum penalty was too much for Ridley to bear. He went under the posts to award Quins a penalty try and spark seismic celebrations.

Rugby in 2019 – in pictures

1/99 1. Saracens vs Sale – 4 Jan

2/99 2. Exeter vs Bristol – 5 Jan

3/99 3. Saracens vs Glasgow – 19 Jan

4/99 4. Ireland vs England – 2 Feb

5/99 5. England vs France – 10 Feb

6/99 6. Wales vs England – 23 Feb

7/99 7. Scotland vs Wales – 9 March

8/99 8. Wales vs Ireland – 16 March

9/99 9. England vs Scotland – 16 March

10/99 10. England Women vs Scotland Women – 16 March

11/99 11. Leinster vs Ulster – 30 March

12/99 12. Saracens vs Munster – 20 April

13/99 13. Saracens vs Leinster – 11 May

14/99 14. Saracens vs Exeter 1 June

15/99 15. England Women vs New Zealand Women 14 July

16/99 16. England Women vs New Zealand Women – 14 July

17/99 17. South Africa vs Australia – 20 July

18/99 18. New Zealand vs South Africa – 27 July

19/99 19. Australia vs New Zealand – 10 August

20/99 20. Argentina vs South Africa – 10 August

21/99 21. New Zealand vs Australia – 17 August

22/99 22. England vs Ireland – 24 August

23/99 23. RWC opening ceremony – 20 October

24/99 24. RWC Japan vs Russia – 20 September

25/99 25. RWC Japan-fans – 20 September

26/99 26. RWC Australia vs Fiji – 21 September

27/99 27. RWC New Zealand vs South Africa – 21 September

28/99 28. RWC Ireland vs Scotland – 21 September

29/99 29. RWC England vs Tonga – 22 September

30/99 30. RWC Wales vs Georgia – 23 September

31/99 31. RWC Fiji vs Uruguay – 25 September

32/99 32. RWC Fiji vs Uruguay – 25 September

33/99 33. RWC England vs USA – 26 September

34/99 34. RWC Japan vs Ireland – 28 September

35/99 35. RWC Japan vs Ireland – 28 September

36/99 36. RWC Australia vs Wales – 29 September

37/99 37. RWC Scotland vs Samoa – 30 September

38/99 38. RWC New Zealand vs Canada – 2 October

39/99 39. RWC England vs Argentina – 5 October

40/99 40. RWC England vs Argentina – 5 October

41/99 41. RWC Japan vs Samoa – 5 October

42/99 42. RWC New Zealand vs Namibia – 6 October

43/99 43. RWC France vs Tonga – 6 October

44/99 44. RWC Scotland vs Russia – 9 October

45/99 45. RWC Wales vs Fiji – 9 October

46/99 46. RWC Typhoon Hagibis – 10 October

47/99 47. RWC Typhoon Hagibis – 10 October

48/99 48. RWC Typhoon Hagibis – 10 October

49/99 49. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

50/99 50. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

51/99 51. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

52/99 52. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

53/99 53. RWC England vs Australia – 19 October

54/99 54. RWC England vs Australia – 19 October

55/99 55. RWC England vs Australia – 19 October

56/99 56. RWC New Zealand vs Ireland – 19 October

57/99 57. RWC New Zealand vs Ireland – 19 October

58/99 58. RWC Wales vs France – 20 October

59/99 59. RWC Wales vs France – 20 October

60/99 60. RWC Wales vs France – 20 October

61/99 61. RWC Japan vs South Africa – 20 October

62/99 62. RWC Japan vs South Africa – 20 October

63/99 63. RWC Japan vs South Africa -20 October

64/99 64. RWC England vs New Zealand – 26 October

65/99 65. RWC England vs New Zealand – 26 October

66/99 66. RWC England vs New Zealand – 26 October

67/99 67. RWC Wales vs South Africa – 27 October

68/99 68. RWC Wales vs South Africa – 27 October

69/99 69. RWC Wales vs South Africa – 27 October

70/99 70. RWC New Zealand vs Wales – 1 November

71/99 71. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

72/99 72. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

73/99 73. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

74/99 74. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

75/99 75. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

76/99 76. RWC England vs South Africa – 4 November

77/99 77. Michael Cheika

78/99 78. Steve Hansen

79/99 79. Ian Foster

80/99 80. Premiership begins – 18 October

81/99 81. Bristol vs Bath – 18 October

82/99 82. Saracens vs Northampton – 19 October

83/99 83. Bath vs Exeter – 25 October

84/99 84. Saracens scandal – 4 November

85/99 85. Dylan Hartley retires

86/99 86. Gloucester vs Toulouse – 15 November

87/99 87. Exeter vs La Rochelle – 16 November

88/99 88. Barbarians vs Fiji

89/99 89. Warren Gatland – 29 November

90/99 90. Wales vs Barbarians

91/99 91. Racing 92 vs Munster – 23 November

92/99 92. Saracens vs Munster

93/99 93. Northampton vs Leicester – 30 November

94/99 94. Doddie Weir – 15 December

95/99 95. Israel Folau

96/99 96. Leicester Tigers vs Bristol Bears – 21 December

97/99 97. Saracens vs Bristol Bears – 21 December

98/99 98. Bristol Bears vs Wasps

99/99 99. Harlequins vs Leicester Tigers

1/99 1. Saracens vs Sale – 4 Jan

2/99 2. Exeter vs Bristol – 5 Jan

3/99 3. Saracens vs Glasgow – 19 Jan

4/99 4. Ireland vs England – 2 Feb

5/99 5. England vs France – 10 Feb

6/99 6. Wales vs England – 23 Feb

7/99 7. Scotland vs Wales – 9 March

8/99 8. Wales vs Ireland – 16 March

9/99 9. England vs Scotland – 16 March

10/99 10. England Women vs Scotland Women – 16 March

11/99 11. Leinster vs Ulster – 30 March

12/99 12. Saracens vs Munster – 20 April

13/99 13. Saracens vs Leinster – 11 May

14/99 14. Saracens vs Exeter 1 June

15/99 15. England Women vs New Zealand Women 14 July

16/99 16. England Women vs New Zealand Women – 14 July

17/99 17. South Africa vs Australia – 20 July

18/99 18. New Zealand vs South Africa – 27 July

19/99 19. Australia vs New Zealand – 10 August

20/99 20. Argentina vs South Africa – 10 August

21/99 21. New Zealand vs Australia – 17 August

22/99 22. England vs Ireland – 24 August

23/99 23. RWC opening ceremony – 20 October

24/99 24. RWC Japan vs Russia – 20 September

25/99 25. RWC Japan-fans – 20 September

26/99 26. RWC Australia vs Fiji – 21 September

27/99 27. RWC New Zealand vs South Africa – 21 September

28/99 28. RWC Ireland vs Scotland – 21 September

29/99 29. RWC England vs Tonga – 22 September

30/99 30. RWC Wales vs Georgia – 23 September

31/99 31. RWC Fiji vs Uruguay – 25 September

32/99 32. RWC Fiji vs Uruguay – 25 September

33/99 33. RWC England vs USA – 26 September

34/99 34. RWC Japan vs Ireland – 28 September

35/99 35. RWC Japan vs Ireland – 28 September

36/99 36. RWC Australia vs Wales – 29 September

37/99 37. RWC Scotland vs Samoa – 30 September

38/99 38. RWC New Zealand vs Canada – 2 October

39/99 39. RWC England vs Argentina – 5 October

40/99 40. RWC England vs Argentina – 5 October

41/99 41. RWC Japan vs Samoa – 5 October

42/99 42. RWC New Zealand vs Namibia – 6 October

43/99 43. RWC France vs Tonga – 6 October

44/99 44. RWC Scotland vs Russia – 9 October

45/99 45. RWC Wales vs Fiji – 9 October

46/99 46. RWC Typhoon Hagibis – 10 October

47/99 47. RWC Typhoon Hagibis – 10 October

48/99 48. RWC Typhoon Hagibis – 10 October

49/99 49. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

50/99 50. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

51/99 51. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

52/99 52. RWC Japan vs Scotland – 13 October

53/99 53. RWC England vs Australia – 19 October

54/99 54. RWC England vs Australia – 19 October

55/99 55. RWC England vs Australia – 19 October

56/99 56. RWC New Zealand vs Ireland – 19 October

57/99 57. RWC New Zealand vs Ireland – 19 October

58/99 58. RWC Wales vs France – 20 October

59/99 59. RWC Wales vs France – 20 October

60/99 60. RWC Wales vs France – 20 October

61/99 61. RWC Japan vs South Africa – 20 October

62/99 62. RWC Japan vs South Africa – 20 October

63/99 63. RWC Japan vs South Africa -20 October

64/99 64. RWC England vs New Zealand – 26 October

65/99 65. RWC England vs New Zealand – 26 October

66/99 66. RWC England vs New Zealand – 26 October

67/99 67. RWC Wales vs South Africa – 27 October

68/99 68. RWC Wales vs South Africa – 27 October

69/99 69. RWC Wales vs South Africa – 27 October

70/99 70. RWC New Zealand vs Wales – 1 November

71/99 71. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

72/99 72. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

73/99 73. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

74/99 74. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

75/99 75. RWC England vs South Africa – 2 November

76/99 76. RWC England vs South Africa – 4 November

77/99 77. Michael Cheika

78/99 78. Steve Hansen

79/99 79. Ian Foster

80/99 80. Premiership begins – 18 October

81/99 81. Bristol vs Bath – 18 October

82/99 82. Saracens vs Northampton – 19 October

83/99 83. Bath vs Exeter – 25 October

84/99 84. Saracens scandal – 4 November

85/99 85. Dylan Hartley retires

86/99 86. Gloucester vs Toulouse – 15 November

87/99 87. Exeter vs La Rochelle – 16 November

88/99 88. Barbarians vs Fiji

89/99 89. Warren Gatland – 29 November

90/99 90. Wales vs Barbarians

91/99 91. Racing 92 vs Munster – 23 November

92/99 92. Saracens vs Munster

93/99 93. Northampton vs Leicester – 30 November

94/99 94. Doddie Weir – 15 December

95/99 95. Israel Folau

96/99 96. Leicester Tigers vs Bristol Bears – 21 December

97/99 97. Saracens vs Bristol Bears – 21 December

98/99 98. Bristol Bears vs Wasps

99/99 99. Harlequins vs Leicester Tigers

Quins began the game with only one win in their last five league fixtures – including a humbling on home soil by London Irish earlier this month – and it showed in the early exchanges.

Danny Care failed to trap the kick off and then Phil Dollman, on the first proper Chiefs attack, brushed off Smith with ease to coast over down the left.

Smith began to make amends by slotting a penalty after the Quins scrum, anchored by Mark Lambert on his 250th appearance for the club, got the nudge on.

Joe Simmonds replied with a penalty of his own for a 10-3 lead for the league leaders. But Quins kept coming and when a clever Smith kick off turnover ball trapped Dollman in his in-goal area, Quins bludgeoned their way back into the contest.

After a succession of scrum penalties on the line, Care tapped and released the wrecking ball Paul Lasike to barge over. Smith converted and it was all square.

Smith and Joe Simmonds then traded penalties around the half-hour mark as the heavens opened and, at the break, the two sides went in locked at 13-13.

The sun was back out for the second half – and smiling on Quins it appeared – as brand new replacement Tevita Cavubati wormed his way over.

But the Chiefs came roaring back. Sam Simmonds’ searing break into the 22 leading two phases later to brother Joe drifting over down the left.

The youngster converted his own score and it was all square, but not for long. Elvis Taione went charging down the right, it was the younger Simmonds who again finished the job and added the extras for a 27-20 lead.

But Quins were not finished, emptying their bench and then levelling things up as man of the match Smith high-stepped his way over down the left and then added the tough extras into the wind.

But Joe Simmonds again had an answer, drilling his third penalty of the contest to make it 30-27 with a quarter of an hour to go.

What then ensued was total one-way traffic as Quins chased the win.

Devoto saw yellow for a high shot on Smith and Quins earned penalty after penalty. They were not settling for a draw and, after Hepburn also saw yellow, their patience was eventually rewarded.

In the day’s other fixtures, Saracens overcame Northampton 27-21 and Leicester defeated Worcester 14-8. Friday’s game saw Sale beat Gloucester 23-17, and London Irish take on Wasps on Sunday before Bath host Bristol.

PA

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