Andre Esterhuizen scored as Harlequins beat Glasgow in a Champions Cup last-16 tie in London on Friday – their first knockout victory in the top European club competition.

A week after taking a 37-point lead at Bath in the English Premiership before conceding 33 straight points and clinging to a four-point win, Quins took a 21-7 lead at the break before conceding 21 straight points.

Quins survived one last flurry of Glasgow pressure in the London rain and saved themselves with a late try to win 28-24.

“The fans are always complaining that they are always on the edge of their seats, whenever we’re ahead we always let the [other] team in,” flyhalf Marcus Smith told TNT after the game.

“In the last two years we’ve fallen at this hurdle, so that’s a monkey off the back,” said Smith.

Glasgow jumped into a third-minute lead when lock Scott Cummings plunged over the line. Quins pressed but, against a ferocious defence and with a slippery ball, struggled to take their chances.

Smith, an England international, found a way through after 24 minutes, his precise cross-field kick bouncing up into the hands of World Cup-winning Springbok centre Esterhuizen, who touched down.

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Glasgow paid for repeated offences when centre Sione Tuipulotu was shown a yellow card after 33 minutes. From the scrum, Smith sidestepped three defenders and scored.

With the last play of the half, Smith’s lightning pass sent winger Cadan Murley over in the corner. Smith was on fine form with the boot and converted all three tries.

But then in the second half came the Quins wobble and the Glasgow fightback. Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews burrowed over after Glasgow pushed Quins back in a maul from a 50th-minute lineout.

Two minutes later, Glasgow’s backs cut the home defence open and George Horne touched down. The scrumhalf landed his third conversion to level the scores. He then kicked a 59th-minute penalty to give the visitors the lead.

Harlequins prop Joe Marler received a yellow card but, despite winning two penalties close to the Quins line, Glasgow were unable to turn the advantage into points.

As Marler returned, Smith hit an immense clearing kick that full-back Josh McKay fumbled giving the home team possession 20 metres from the Glasgow line.

Quins won two penalties but opted to keep attacking and were rewarded when Sam Riley surged over after a lineout maul with four minutes left, which Smith then duly converted.

© Agence France-Presse

Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images

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