There was razzmatazz aplenty at The Stoop - including dancing girls, dancing bears and funky music - in front of a large crowd.

In addition there was a fine playing surface and acres of space for the home backs to utilise, which is the stated object of coach Dean Richards now that he feels they have one hand on the National League One championship.

And that approach brought results as once again Quins maintained their home-scoring average.

Nevertheless, Otley played a full part in a tremendous game, albeit for the most part they were on the defensive.

Much of that was their own fault,

however, as three visitors were shown the yellow card, and for a time they were down to 13 men.

An improvement in the Quins pack meant they were better able to compete than they were allowed to at Cross Green, and early on Otley saw little of the ball.

They were mainly concerned in tracking the well-rehearsed lines of running of the speedy home backs, but as they settled down they began to make their presence felt.

Catching a clearing kick, Kyle Dench forced his way down the touchline, gaining a penalty when he was not allowed to play the ball when tackled.

With Ian Shuttleworth, standing in at fly half for the injured Simon Binns,

lining up the kick at goal, the touch judge drew attention to a little matter which concluded with a reversal of the penalty.

Instead there was a yellow card for Mark Luffman - his second in successive weeks.

A further penalty for offside meant Otley were facing a five-metre line-out where a clean catch and well-organised drive shoved prop Ceri Jones over for a try, fly half Adrian Jarvis converting.

Harlequins were now full of confidence but Otley's second venture into the home half, in the 28th minute, by virtue of a high kick brought them a penalty.

The bomb was taken by full back Mike Brown, who was then engulfed, and the penalty was calmly stroked over from 45 metres by Shuttleworth.

Spirits raised, Otley had their best spell but the home defence was sure, and in the 38th minute Jarvis put them further ahead with a penalty.

Four minutes into added time, Krys Fullman was sin-binned at a scrum on the Otley five-metre line.

Quins chose to scrummage and, after the drive failed, they swung the ball wide and right winger Charlie Amesbury just managed to dive in at the corner.

Matters took a turn for the worse

when, seven minutes after the break, Shuttleworth was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on to which referee Rose added a penalty try and there

was now no way back for a game Otley side.

The restart failed to go ten metres and from the scrum, Quins had no trouble

in rounding a meagre defence for left winger Simon Keogh to go over.

Despite Otley going close to scoring with strong individual runs, they leaked further tries to Jarvis and Amesbury, with the fly half adding all the conversions.