Returning Evans stars as Quins swat Wasps

A stunning performance by All Black fly-half Nick Evans, making his first start since suffering a knee ligament injury in his Quins debut on the opening day of the season, was the highlight of Harlequins' demolition of Premiership strugglers Wasps at the Twickenham Stoop yesterday.

Evans, switched to full-back, was in imperious form with head, hands and feet as he helped propel the London team into second place in the Guinness Premiership.

His tally of 19 points, from a try, four penalties and a conversion told only part of the story of his contribution. The 28-year-old's blistering pace, which earned him his 31st-minute try, did not just open up the Wasps defence, it left the capacity 12,638 crowd slack-jawed as well.

He was surrounded by players all on their game. The front row dominated at the set piece, while the back row of captain Will Skinner, Chris Robshaw, and Tom Guest were superb. They eclipsed their opposite numbers, taking charge at the breakdown, in the loose and forever posing a threat, as well as snuffing out any threat. In the midfield Tosh Masson and Jordan Turner-Hall played like veterans, canny, quick-witted and fleet of foot. In scrum-half Andy Gomarsall they had a general who was able to call the shots and switch the point of attack seemingly at will.

Wasps lost it in the first half when nothing seemed to go right. Josh Lewsey's poor clearance kick from the kick-off went straight to Chris Malone, who promptly knocked over a 45-metre drop goal. Minutes later a penalty line-out led to Guest scoring the first try, from close range. Wasps were then caught offside three times well within range of their posts and Evans punished them every time. They missed first-up tackles on countless occasions, not least when Evans made the break for his try. He burst through two feeble tackles.

Wasps showed improvement after the interval but still conceded a soft try. Mark van Gisbergen failed to gather a Malone kick through, the ball bounced awkwardly, catching the Wasps fullback on his forehead before rebounding to the foot of Masson who chipped it to the right where Robshaw beat John Hart and replacement scrum-half Joe Simpson to the touchdown.

Simpson's 67th minute try was no consolation for Wasps, who are now just a point above bottom-place Bristol.

Harlequins: Tries Guest, N Evans, Robshaw; Conversion N Evans; Penalties N Evans 4; DG Malone. Wasps: Try Simpson; Conversion Walder; Penalty Staunton.

Harlequins: N Evans; T Williams, T Masson, J Turner-Hall (De Wet Barry, 65), C Amesbury; C Malone, A Gomarsall (J Polu, 50); C Jones, G Botha, M Ross (M Lambert, 75), O Kohn, J Evans (G Robson, 65), C Robshaw, W Skinner (capt; C Brooker, 80+3), T Guest (N McMillan, 71).

Wasps: M van Gisbergen; M Lawlor, J Lewsey (R Hoadley, 70-76), L Mitchell, T Voyce; J Staunton (D Walder, 57), M Robinson (J Simpson, 50); R Hoadley, 76); T Payne, R Webber (R Ibanez, 57), P Barnard, G Skivington, R Birkett, J Hart (D Leo, 62), S Betsen (H Ellis, 57) , J Worsley (capt).

Referee: T Wigglesworth (Yorkshire)