Quins on a roll ahead of Toulon test

Harlequins travel to star-studded Toulon for their Amlin quarter-final and, even though they are now six points clear at the top of the Aviva Premiership, director of rugby Conor O'Shea admits they have work to do before heading to the south of France.

"Our discipline let us down, there were some very dumb penalties, and we need to address that in training this week," said O'Shea.

"We only have six days before the quarter-final and we may well need to freshen up the team up a bit. That said, our defence was outstanding, they put their bodies on the line, and any players coming into the side for the Amlin match will certainly have to follow that lead against a very powerful Toulon squad."

The pre-match entertainment produced a carnival atmosphere at the home of English football before the rugby took centre stage with a full-blooded contest high on intensity and no shortage of quality.

And it took reigning Amlin Challenge Cup Champions Harlequins less than three minutes to get the first score, centre Jordan Turner-Hall crossing before co-centre George Lowe added a second after 23 minutes.

The latter was a superb solo effort with All Blacks outside half Nick Evans adding both conversions.

But Harlequins will kick themselves for gifting Saracens points through indiscipline, England outside half Owen Farrell - playing in the centre for his club - landing four of the five penalty goal chances on offer, his one miss from long range dipping just below the crossbar.

Scrum half Danny Care got Quins' third try midway through the second half, replacement Rory Clegg adding five points with the boot, but it was Harlequins' fantastic scramble defence that kept Saracens out on more than one occasion when a try looked on the cards.

But with first Joe Marler, then Care and finally Nick Easter being shown yellow and sent to the sin bin, reducing Quins to 13 for a couple of minutes on each occasion, their discipline was letting them down.

And while men short Richard Wigglesworth belatedly got Saracens' first try, Farrell converting, only for it to be too little too late for the "home" side.