5 Talking Points: Quins take 22-19 win against a gutsy Northampton side

Here are 5 talking points from the exhilirating affair in Twickenham.

Cassius Cleaves was simply unbelievable. Two tries on the night, with his second being the match winner is a great reward for his injury struggles since the start of the season.

Cleaves said, "It's good to be back out there. It was a tough game all round and we came back in the second half."

"I'm really happy to score a couple tries. I'm buzzing."

"I actually got quicker (after injury). I came back stronger. It was a really good opportunity."

Cleaves made 145 metres and was a danger to Saints all the way through the match.

The start of the match was fast and furious. Saints were able to get the opening score after George Makepeace-Cubitt danced through the defence before Tom Pearson dotted down.

Northampton Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson said, "It was a scrappy game."

"They've got some very good runners and we could not keep them out."

"It was a fast game and both teams wanted to play with ball in hand. We'll take positives through the effort and the energy."

Like Cleaves, the young guns can take all the plaudits.

Makepeace-Cubitt and Charlie McParland combined well despite only being aged 20 and 19 respectively.

Off the bench, Jamie Benson highlighted his attacking skillset with some silky steps and strong passing. He should have plenty of more opportunities and is a real talent for future years.

Quins just had the extra bite and desire to win the match. Saints were unable to match their energy and ultimately came short.

On Cleaves, Chris Ashton said, "He's a great pro and has been very patient."

Harlequins fully deserved the win and will be keen to kick on from their relatively poor form in recent weeks. Their first back-to-back win of the season puts them in good stead as the league breaks for the Six Nations.

It is never a Harlequins where the ending is simple. The Londoners simply do not do things the easy way and were entertaining as usual.

Saints had field position at the end of the match but could not capitalise against the Quins defence.

However, the visitors should leave with their heads held high after their squad was decimated through various unavailabilities.

Northampton are now firmly languishing in the bottom half of the table and will need to win, if not all, most of their remaining matches to have any chances of qualifying for the semi final play offs.