The Premiership returns with a potential thriller as two of the league’s most entertaining sides clash at the Twickenham Stoop.
Harlequins welcome the high-flying Bristol Bears to their southwest London home with the visitors eyeing top spot in a hugely competitive campaign. Pat Lam’s side have continued to embrace their free-wheeling identity and enjoyed an encouraging start to the season, with a win over champions Northampton before the November international action leaving them well placed.
The hosts, meanwhile, sit six points behind their opponents and within striking distance of the top four. While there is no Marcus Smith tonight as he rests after a busy Autumn Nations Series with England, Alex Dombrandt returns to captain the side. More significantly, the club will say farewell to a legend in Joe Marler, who has brought forward his retirement from rugby from the end of the season to tonight and starts on the loosehead for the final time.
Follow all of the latest from the Stoop in our live blog below:
Harlequins vs Bristol
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Harlequins host Bristol at the Twickenham Stoop
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Premiership returns after international action with clash of two free-wheeling sides | Live on TNT Sports
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Harlequins and England prop Joe Marler is set to play his final game before retirement
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TRY! HARLEQUINS 5-0 Bristol (Alex Dombrandt, 4 minutes)
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TRY! Harlequins 5-7 BRISTOL (Kalaveti Ravouvou, 14 minutes)
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TRY! Harlequins 5-14 BRISTOL (Gabriel Ibitoye, 17 minutes)
TRY! HARLEQUINS 12-14 Bristol (Cadan Murley, 22 minutes)
20:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Picked off, pulled in and Cadan Murley is off to the races!
A 14-point swing! Bristol build pressure and the gaps are starting to appear as Kieran Marmion flings to the right. But Murley is sharp as a tack, off the line in rapid fashion to pluck the duck and make off with the spoils. A 90-metre intercept score and doesn’t the Stoop love it!
Harlequins 5-14 Bristol, 20 minutes
20:08 , Harry Latham-Coyle
This opening 20 has flown by but Bristol are really starting to seize control. Their long, lean athletes are causing havoc, Viliame Mata, Santiago Grondona and co managing to free the arms and get offloads away.
Will Evans is pinged at a breakdown just outside Harlequins’ 22. You doubt Bristol will take the points…and they don’t, opting for the corner.
TRY! Harlequins 5-14 BRISTOL (Gabriel Ibitoye, 17 minutes)
20:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Under the posts untouched! A brilliant break from Kieran Marmion and Gabriel Ibitoye finishes it off!
It’s poor fringe defence from Harlequins, caught napping down the short side as Marmion snipes. Ibitoye cannily fades to the inside as Marmion puts him away and there’s no stopping the wing from there as he continues his red hot form against his old club.
Joe Marler gives his former teammate a bit of chat afterwards. Hmm…
Harlequins 5-7 Bristol, 16 minutes
20:03 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Oghre appears to have hurt himself in that passage, the hooker slow to get back to join his teammates in restart receipt formation. Replacement Harry Thacker is practicing a few throws on the touchline, suggesting Pat Lam is mulling a change, but Oghre will soldier on for now.
TRY! Harlequins 5-7 BRISTOL (Kalaveti Ravouvou, 14 minutes)
20:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A length-of-the-field pearler from the visitors!
Gabriel Oghre is sprung up the right and shows such intelligence to wait for support having been isolated, ducking and weaving to allow his teammates to arrive. That affords Bristol the chance to spread the ball away to the left, where there are numbers. Kalaveti Ravouvou is the last man on the line and shakes off a would-be tackler before accelerating to the line. AJ MacGinty adds the extras to nudge away noses in front.
Harlequins 5-0 Bristol, 13 minutes
19:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Harlequins make initial inroads on the attack but run out of numbers, forcing Tyrone Green to thread a kick through. It’s a good’un, tumbling out about seven metres from the Bristol line.
But Bristol want to play! Thrown quickly and off they go!
Harlequins 5-0 Bristol, 11 minutes
19:58 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Another bright attacking passage from the visitors sees them work their way down into the Harlequins 22, the ever effective MacGinty pulling the strings nicely. An untimely knock on again scuppers their progress, though.
Joe Marler says farewell to the Twickenham Stoop
19:57 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Harlequins 5-0 Bristol, 9 minutes
19:56 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Both sides have come to play. Some lush handling from Bristol allow them to get to the edge where AJ MacGinty and Gabriel Oghre interchange neatly. Oghre transfers to Kieran Marmion, who is unaware of a retreating Harlequin as he is bashed from behind, spilling as he enters the Harlequins 22.
Harlequins 5-0 Bristol, 8 minutes
19:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Harlequins feed a solid scrum and away comes Alex Dombrandt, making five metres through contact with impressive leg drive. Porter’s box kick is contested for but missed by a chasing Cadan Murley, and bounces into touch on the Bristol ten-metre line.
Harlequins 5-0 Bristol, 6 minutes
19:53 , Harry Latham-Coyle
That was a mess of Bristol’s own making, of course, but they won’t change their approach. Fijian centre Kalaveti Ravouvou scorches up the right touchline but can’t quite combine with inside support as Will Porter scrambles back really well.
TRY! HARLEQUINS 5-0 Bristol (Alex Dombrandt, 4 minutes)
19:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
And the skipper givves Harlequins a perfect start!
Silky stuff from Jarrod Evans! A delicate dummy from the fly half takes him through a gap as Gabriel Ibitoye bites to the outside, with Alex Dombrandt providing necessary support to complete the score as Evans draws and gives as he’s clattered by the last defender. A poor conversion from Evans sails wide.
Harlequins 0-0 Bristol, 3 minutes
19:49 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Strong defence initially from Bristol, Santiago Grondona making a lovely chop tackle. But here come the hosts…
Harlequins 0-0 Bristol, 2 minutes
19:49 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Tyrone Green hares after a grubber and traps Gabriel Ibitoye just short of the Bristol line. Bears scrum half Kieran Marmion scrambles a kick away but Harlequins will throw a lineout inside the visitors’ 22.
Harlequins 0-0 Bristol, 1 minute
19:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Bristol rarely kick to clear their lines and the Bears are immediately into their phase play. A thumping hit form Luke Northmore on Fitz Harding stalls their momentum, though, before an errant Viliame Mata offload gives Harlequins an attacking opportunity.
KICK OFF!
19:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Harlequins fly half Jarrod Evans gets proceedings underway.
Harlequins vs Bristol
19:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Joe Marler leads Harlequins out to a standing ovation, bringing his brood of four kids with him as he takes to a pitch he knows so well for the final time. His teammates follow him out, jogging past their retiring loosehead as he poses for the snappers.
Harlequins vs Bristol
19:39 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The other Premiership game tonight is Newcastle against Saracens, which we’ll keep half an eye on. The DJ is pumping things up at the Stoop, though – it’s go time for Harlequins and Bristol.
Harlequins vs Bristol
19:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It’s a chilly but dry night in Twickenham, the warming sun of the afternoon having long since disappeared. The game between these two at the end of last season, as Danny Wilson notes, was properly chaotic and open – what does tonight have in store?
Harlequins coach Danny Wilson hoping defensive improvements bring rewards
19:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle
“We’ve worked hard over the beginning part of the season on our defence,” Danny Wilson said this weekend. “We looked at the Bristol game at the end of last season, we were in the lead on 58 minutes and we ended up getting beaten quite comfortably. You can’t switch off for a second against a team like Bristol. They will play quick lineouts, quick taps, play from deep. They play a lot of rugby and they do it well. So our defensive game will need to be on top of the detail to know what’s coming, we’ve trained a lot on that this week.
“Also, we’re an attacking side that scores tries ourselves and we’ve got players who can do that. We showed that in our last game against Exeter with a number of internationals missing, so I’m excited about what we can bring in attack. I think it’s going to be a really exciting occasion. Hopefully not too stressful, but I’m sure it will be exciting.
“We put a bit a little bit more time focus on our defence because we needed to do that. But you’ve still seen our identity in attack, we’ve scored plenty of tries. Our lineout attack has been good, whether it is a strike off the lineout or a maul try. When we are getting into those positions, we seem to be taking them. If we can develop the weapon where we have a set-piece attack and an unstructured attack.”
Harlequins boss pays tribute to retiring Joe Marler
19:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
“Joe’s a remarkable character on and off the pitch and hugely popular with our supporters,” Danny Wilson said this week.
“In retirement he should rightly be recognised for his outstanding achievements for both club and country.
“In the modern game, it’s rare that players stay at one club for the duration of their professional career and that can’t be overlooked.”
Joe Marler set to say farewell
19:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Joe Marler has brought forward his retirement plans after announcing that Harlequins’ Friday night clash with Bristol at The Stoop will be his final match.
Marler’s decision to hang up his boots comes three and a half weeks after he brought his time with England to an end.
The 34-year-old prop had indicated he would continue playing club rugby until the end of the season but he now bow out in front of Quins fans tonight.
Joe Marler shockingly changes retirement plans as announcement made
Team news – Bristol
18:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The visitors hand a debut to summer signing Viliame Mata, who is finally fit to feature after an injury-hit start to life in Bristol. A long injury and unavailability list, particularly in the front row, opens an opportunity for Lovejoy Chawatama to feature for the Bears in the Premiership for the first time as he takes on his former club.
Bristol XV: 1 Jake Woolmore, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 3 Max Lahiff; 4 James Dun, 5 Joe Owen; 6 Santiago Grondona, 7 Fitz Harding (captain), 8 Viliame Mata; 9 Kieran Marmion, 10 AJ MacGinty; 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 13 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 14 Jack Bates; 15 Rich Lane.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 Steven Luatua, 20 Benjamin Grondona; 21 Oscar Lennon, 22 Joe Jenkins, 23 Benjamin Elizalde.
Team news – Harlequins
18:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Joe Marler starts for one final time as a professional rugby player with the Harlequins loosehead set to bow out of the sport after this fixture. With Marcus Smith unavailable after his England exertions, Jarrod Evans is stationed at fly half, but Alex Dombrandt is able to feature and captains from number eight.
Harlequins XV: 1 Joe Marler, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Simon Kerrod; 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Dino Lamb; 6 Jack Kenningham, 7 Will Evans, 8 Alex Dombrandt (captain); 9 Will Porter, 10 Jarrod Evans; 11 Cadan Murley, 12 Luke Northmore, 13 Oscar Beard, 14 Rodrigo Isgro; 15 Tyrone Green.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 George Hammond, 20 James Chisholm; 21 Danny Care, 22 Jamie Benson, 23 Nick David.
TNT Sports encouraged by Autumn Nations Series viewing figures
18:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The November rugby internationals have seen strong levels of interest across Europe with executives at governing bodies and broadcasters understood to be pleased with viewing figures.
TNT Sports, who are in their first year as the UK broadcaster of the Autumn Nations Series after taking over from Amazon, are said to be particularly encouraged by the week-on-week growth in interest in their first significant, sustained involvement in international rugby.
The England vs South Africa clash set a new record rugby audience for the channel, formerly BT Sport, with interest in line with top Premier League and Champions League games.
TNT Sports encouraged by Autumn Nations Series viewing figures
Marcus Smith insists he is still developing despite praise from Eddie Jones
18:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Marcus Smith insists he is still a work in progress despite emerging from the autumn as England’s most influential player.
While Smith’s ability to get the most out of his backline is now a topic of debate, he left Allianz Stadium on Sunday with praise from Japan boss Eddie Jones ringing in his ears.
Jones, England’s head coach from 2015 to 2022, gave the 25-year-old his Test debut in 2021 and marvels at the player he has become.
“I look at Marcus today, having brought him in when he was young. Now he’s so competent in his decision making,” Jones said after Japan’s 59-14 mauling.
Marcus Smith insists he is still developing despite praise from Eddie Jones
Why have the southern hemisphere sides been so dominant this autumn?
18:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
There is one more internationaal fixture yet to go before November is out, Andy Farrell’s Ireland taking on Joe Schmidt’s Australia in a rather tasty hors d’ouevre ahead of next summer’s British & Irish Lions banquet. Can the Wallabies sign off with a win and continue a November where the Rugby Championship nations have proved strong? Luke Baker explores the southern supremacy:
Why have the southern hemisphere sides been so dominant this autumn?
RFU chief paid £1.1m despite record losses and job cuts
17:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney is to be paid £1.1m for the last financial year despite the governing body reporting record losses and making 42 staff redundant.
The RFU’s annual report, that includes its accounts for the year until June 30, shows an operating loss of £37.9m – the highest it has recorded.
Also within the report is the remuneration for board directors which shows that Sweeney is being paid a combined salary and bonus of £742,000 as well as a one-off sum of £358,000, lifting the total to £1.1m.
Sweeney’s salary is an 8.5 per cent increase over 12 months after he was paid £684,000 in 2023.
RFU chief paid £1.1m despite record losses and job cuts
What next for England after frustrating autumn? Five questions Steve Borthwick must answer before Six Nations
17:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A record of just five wins from 12 games in 2024 reflects a year of missed chances for England. From Lyon in the spring to Auckland in the summer right through to three defeats in November, Steve Borthwick’s side repeatedly put themselves in winning positions this year yet, come the crunch, failed or faltered.
After a third-place finish at last year’s World Cup, the team has undergone a relatively significant regeneration. Nine new caps have made their international debuts, while other relatively inexperienced individuals like Tommy Freeman and George Furbank have been given new prominence within the set-up.
While their final-quarter collapses have undermined much of the progress made, Borthwick is confident he has the pieces in place to build a winning team. The head coach has regularly cited the youthful age profile of his squad while retaining a senior leadership group he has full faith in. He is confident that the upheaval caused by the shock departures of defence coach Felix Jones and strength and conditioning guru Aled Walters will not be repeated.
But the start of the Six Nations is highly demanding: a trip to Ireland on the opening weekend is followed by a first home clash with France since a record defeat at Twickenham in 2023. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have set an ambitious ask of four wins from five in the spring campaign, something England have not achieved since the 2020 edition.
Here are five key questions that Borthwick must address to set England up for success.
What next for England after frustrating autumn? Five key questions to answer
Harlequins vs Bristol LIVE
11:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of an intriguing clash between Harlequins and Bristol Bears as the Premiership returns after a busy November of international action. The visitors are eyeing top spot in the table ass they travel to the Twickenham Stoop, but will face a home side desperate to give retiring prop Joe Marler a special send-off.
Kick off is at 7.45pm GMT.
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