Danny Wilson hailed Harlequins’ last-gasp cool heads in edging to a maiden Champions Cup knockout win over Glasgow at The Stoop.
Quins held Glasgow out for four nervy final minutes, after Sam Riley’s driving maul try had stolen a 28-24 lead at the death in west London.
Now Quins will face the winners of Bordeaux-Saracens on Saturday, in their first-ever Champions Cup quarter-final.
Harlequins had led 21-7 at half-time only to slip 24-21 behind on the hour. Riley powered in for Quins’ late and vital fourth try however, with Smith booting a tough conversion.
And ex-Glasgow coach Wilson was left delighted by Quins holding their neve at the death.
“The boys found a way and dug deep, to score the driving lineout and then to defend the way we did, Glasgow had nowhere to go,” said Wilson.
“We forced Glasgow to have to do something. So really pleased with that, really pleased with the win.
“To be the first Quins team to get a knockout win in the Champions Cup, that’s something we’re really pleased with and we’ll celebrate. But obviously it doesn’t get much harder than either team we could face next week.”
Wilson admitted Quins have already analysed both Saracens and Bordeaux, with the two sides now their potential quarter-final foes.
If Sarries win in France on Saturday, Quins will host the Men In Black at The Stoop next weekend. If Bordeaux prevail, then Harlequins will be heading out to France.
“We’ve done a preview on both, we previewed Bordeaux before this game, as a coaching and analyst group,” Wilson said.
“And they are quite an impressive outfit, very powerful team, play a fair amount of rugby, defensively outstanding and difficult to break down. Away from home that’s a real challenge, but we’d love to have a crack at that if that’s what happens.
“And if it’s Saracens here, we haven’t performed against Sarries twice, however they’ve certainly performed well against us twice.
“So I don’t want to take anything away from them but I don’t think we’ve put our best foot forward in either of those games. So if we get a chance to do that, that would be massive.
“And to have an all-English quarter-final, a London derby, it would be quite something.”
