Two tries apiece from Matt Gafa and Rikki Sheriffe inspired Harlequins to a battling victory over Hull KR in their mid-table clash at The Stoop.

Quins scored three tries in 10 minutes midway through the first half and were comfortably ahead 18-0 at the break.

Ben Cockayne gave the visitors hope and quick tries from Cockayne again and Kirk Netherton led to a frantic finale. With Rovers desperate for possession, Sheriffe found space out wide to twice dart in for decisive scores.

It was the visitors who made the better start, but they failed to make it count and Quins turned the match on its head with two tries in three minutes.

Danny Orr's chip allowed Jon Wells to leap above the rest and crash over the line, and soon afterwards skipper Rob Purdham stole in to score after Sheriffe had made an electrifying 50-metre run.

Orr made a surging break and Gafa was on hand to scamper over to give the home side a noteable advantage.

Rovers got back into the match when Cockayne profited from a Paul Cooke up-and-under to crash over and as conditions deteriorated the match remained on a knife-edge before Sheriffe ran KR out of town.

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Harlequins coach Brian McDermott:
"We are really trying a different ethos this year and if that means errors then we get ready to defend," he said.

"We are playing a lot of football but there is a real winning attitude among the boys and that was really evident.

"Yes there are players waiting to come back but the guys who are playing at the moment will get the shirt if they keep playing like that."

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Hull KR coach Justin Morgan:
"We were out-enthused today by a very, very good side.

"They have a great work ethic and we didn't match that, we are playing down on confidence at the moment but we are trying to get it right.

"We need to get our attitude right as a team. If we get our minds right and in the contest then we will get our bodies in the contest."

Harlequins RL: Wells, Clubb, Gafa, Howell, Sheriffe, Paul, Orr, Temata, Randall, Ward, Mbu, Worrincy, Purdham.
Replacements: Rinaldi, Melling, Haggerty, Grayshon.

Hull KR: Briscoe, Fox, Cockayne, Walker, Fitzhenry, Cooke, J. Webster, Mills, Fisher, Vella, Newton, Lovegrove, Galea.
Replacements: Crossman, Gene, I'Anson, K. Netherton.

Referee: I Smith (Oldham)