Marcus Smith shrugged off England’s dismal Six Nations to turn on the style for seven-try Harlequins.
Fifty days after his only scoring pass of a frustrating campaign in Rome, the fly-half threw two in four minutes on his Premiership return to light the blue touchpaper in west London.
“Marcus’ skill-set is amazing,” said Quins boss Tabai Matson. “It often takes a game, but it took him two minutes to get back into the flow.”
With Smith back on song the English champions romped to victory, scoring 36 unanswered points in the middle of the contest.
London Irish had started the stronger, Paddy Jackson bagging the opening try and Ollie Hassell-Collins going over for a second only to drop the ball in the act of touching down.
Smith put an end to all that, looping a perfect pass over Hassell-Collins for Caden Murley to score in the right corner - then providing the assist for the first of Huw Jones’ two tries.
“That's him isn't it?” said Matson. “He was scheduled to go 50 minutes, but played 60. [Joe] Marchant, Dommers [Alex Dombrandt] and Marcus were outstanding.
“They often lack a bit of cohesion coming back from England, but they fit back in like a glove.
“When they rolled in on Monday they were bubbly and keen to get back. it was like the first day of term.”
Quins made five entries into the Exiles’ 22 in the first 40 and scored off four of them, hooker Jack Walker grabbing the bonus point with his second on the stroke of half-time.
Try as they did Irish could not suppress the energy and enthusiasm Smith brings to the game.
Exiles boss Declan Kidney said: “He has carried himself very well over the course of the year on and off the pitch and is a credit to himself, his family and his club for the way he has gone about his business.
“There is heaps of pressure coming on the young man now but he has coped with it very well so far and I congratulate him on that.”
Danny Care helped himself to his 79th career Premiership try as Quins scored 12 points with Irish scrum-half Nick Phipps in the sin-bin.
He then followed him into the cooler with his fourth yellow card in as many league matches - and a record-equalling fifth in one season.
It made no difference as Andre Esterhuizen crashed over for the 14-man visitors to the delight of their fans in the 13,083 crowd.
Jones grabbed his second, two minutes from time, as Quins completed their biggest Premiership win over their neighbours.
IRISH - Tries: Jackson, van Rensburg. Cons: Jackson 2.
QUINS - Tries: Walker 2, Murley, Jones 2, Care, Esterhuizen. Cons: Smith 2, Edwards.
