Danny Care: thanks for the memories

Harlequins had a typically close but exciting win over Exeter Chiefs yesterday but the result had to play second fiddle to the farewell of their legendary scrum half Danny Care.

Danny notched up 394 appearances for Quins and gained 101 caps for England – all the more remarkable a statistic as Matt Dawson and Ben Youngs were his peers.

Many – not just Quins fans – felt that Danny was a better scrum half than Ben Youngs, who had a disastrous first half in the 2019 World Cup Final v South Africa, but Eddie Jones made some odd selections in his final years.

Statistics only tell so much. Danny was a great scrum half – always at the heart of the action – and possessed of an accurate pass.

He was an important element in that quartet of himself, Alex Dombrandt, André Esterhuizen and Marcus Smith that reached its zenith when Quins came back from a 30-3 deficit in the 2021 Premiership semi-final against Bristol Bears and then beat Exeter in the Final.

He also played occasionally at fly half so he had the benefit of being able to kick the ball too.

It was an emotional farewell on Sunday which Danny did not milk but shared with his family.

With Joe Marler having also retired recently, it is indeed the end of an era for Quins.