A Champions Cup of modest returns for the English was at least given a fillip by Harlequins. This reasonably comfortable win over Glasgow across the road from where the Calcutta Cup will be contested next month put the home team through to the last 16. No one will particularly relish a visit from one of the game’s more waspish teams, but it is fair to say any further progress by Quins will require an improvement on this.
Glasgow, champions of the United Rugby Championship no less, were not quite there all evening. Perhaps they were thrown by the loss of Sione Tuipulotu to a suspected pectoral injury this week in training, which threatens his participation in Scotland’s Six Nations campaign. Franco Smith, Glasgow’s head coach, could not confirm the extent of the injury but spoke darkly about Tuipulotu’s prospects of an immediate return, implying afterwards that the race was more for him to return in time to mount a challenge for a place in the Lions tour than the Six Nations.
