Barry Everitt is a bit of an oddity in this London Irish side. He was, after all, born in Ireland. So the national coach Warren Gatland's trip across the Irish Sea at the weekend did have some purpose. Everitt's assured place-kicking - seven out of seven as opposed to the seven out of nine of his opposite number, a former Ireland number 10 Paul Burke - was part of the reason for this unexpected victory by the Exiles.

But it was the 25-year-old's ability to rise above the mundane of the game that saved the afternoon from being little more than a penalty shoot-out.

Everitt sealed the victory 15 minutes from time when Quins made a mess of a quick lineout. His cross-kick to the corner fell into the arms of his right-wing Jarrod Cunningham for the deciding try. Five minutes later a sweetly-struck drop-goal gave hi m 22 points for the afternoon.

With the multi-national Exiles dressed in black, only numbers designed into shapes of a well-known brand of stout assured Gatland he was at the right fixture.

But with the outhalf berth a problem for Ireland in recent years, he now knows he has some cover should Ronan O'Gara not be fit to face England next month. Conor O'Shea, the Exiles club captain laid low with injury, said: "When Barry came to England a season ago, he was seen as a kicking fly-half but there is more to his game. He has a lot of ambition is him and it is up to the rest of us to help push h im into the international reckoning."

John Kingston, the former Richmond coach, back in west London with Quins after a two-year spell on the west coast of Ireland with Galwegians, was not a happy man.

"At half-time some stark truths were uttered because we were staring at an embarrassing result," he said.

"The improvement came but when you are 22-6 down there is absolutely no margin for error."

Kingston used Keith Wood for only the last 15 minutes. Wood has got married since the Lions tour and had only been back at the club for a week.

For the hooker and for Quins the honeymoon is over.

SCORERS: Harlequins - Penalties: Burke 7. London Irish - Tries: Worsley, Cunningham. Conversions: Everitt 2. Penalties: Everitt 5. Drop-goal: Everitt.

HARLEQUINS: Gollings; Moore, Burrows, Greenstock, Luger; Burke, Powell; Leonard, Fuga (Wood, 65min), Dawson (Olver, 56), Morgan (capt), White-Cooper, Winters, Sanderson (Davison, 14), Diprose.

London Irish: Horak; Cunningham, Bishop, Venter, Sackey; Everitt, Edwards (Barrett, 78); Worsley (Hatley, 46), Drotske (Kirke, 46), Halford, Studwick (capt), Fahrensohn, Cockle (Halvey, 54), Dawson, Sheasby.

Referee: D Pearson (Yorkshire).