Leeds 21-10 Harlequins

MATCH DETAILS Leeds: 21 (7) Tries: Snyman 2, Christophers Con: Ross 3 Harlequins: 10 (3) Try: Staunton Con: Staunton Pen: Staunton Att: 8,161

Harlequins must beat Sale in the final game of the season to avoid relegation from the Zurich Premiership after being outplayed by Leeds at Headingley.

Jeremy Staunton kicked Quins into the lead before Leeds winger Andre Snyman burst over in the corner.

Gordon Ross converted but Staunton hit back shortly after the restart with an interception try plus the extra points.

However, Phil Christophers finished off a sweeping move for Leeds and Snyman scored his second to secure the win.

Leeds, whose final game is at Bath on Saturday, move up to ninth in the table, two points ahead of bottom-placed Quins.

After the victory over Quins, Leeds director of rugby Phil Davies was quick to praise his players and look ahead.

"The character they have shown tonight was immense," Davies said.

"I am really proud of them, it's just a shame we didn't get the fourth try for a bonus point.

"We've got one game to go against Bath and will have to be ready for them because they are going to throw the kitchen sink at us.

We've just got to prepare as best as we can to go out and win the game (against Sale) Quins coach Mark Evans

"We were eight points behind a few weeks ago and now we are a couple of points ahead so we're just going to keep playing."

Quins coach Mark Evans remains optimistic his team can beat high-flying Sale on Saturday.

"We've just got to prepare as best as we can to go out and win the game," he said.

"It's in our hands unless there's an outrageous result at Sixways (in the game between fellow relegation strugglers Worcester and Northampton).

"I thought 37 points would be enough but someone is going to go down with 38 to 39 points. There's a first time for everything."

Leeds had the bulk of possession in the first half but the Quins defence was mostly resolute.

And Staunton gave Quins the lead in the 29th minute when Jon Dunbar was penalised at the side of a ruck.

Leeds twice turned down kickable penalty chances, opting instead for attacking line-outs, but their ploy looked to have backfired as Quins held firm.

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However, on 35 minutes Gordon Ross sent Snyman down the blindside and the South African burst past Ugo Monye and through Gordon Duffy to score in the corner.

A minute after the break, Ross' pass was intercepted by Staunton who raced over from 50 metres before converting his own try.

Leeds full-back Diego Albanese should have put Ross in on 61 minutes but the Argentine fluffed his pass.

But with 12 minutes remaining, Ross released Christophers from Leeds' own 10 metre line.

Christophers gave an early pass to substitute winger Tom Biggs and the 20-year-old returned a brilliant pass inside for Christophers to score.

Ross' touchline conversion made it 14-10 to the Tykes and Snyman's late try after Alan Dickens' darting run sent the crowd of 8,161 into raptures.

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Leeds: Albanese, Snyman, Christophers, Bell, Rees (Biggs 58), Ross, Dickens, Shelley, Regan (Rawlinson 75), Kerr, Hooper, Morgan, Dunbar (Rigney 58), Parks, Popham. Subs not used: Holt, Hyde, McMillan, McMullen.

Harlequins: Duffy (Williams 68), Harder, Greenwood, Deane, Monye (Keogh 41), Staunton (Thomas 70), So'oialo, Jones (Worsley 73), Hayter (Tiatia 44), Dawson, Winters, Maling, Easter, Vos, Diprose. Subs not Used: Miall, Sherriff.

Ref: C White (RFU).