Dave Ewers shows England class while Harlequins seek cover

Quins have lost the injured Fiji flanker Netani Talei for the season

Dave Ewers gave a fine display at blind-side flanker (Getty)

Harlequins will sign a back-row player this week as cover for five injured loose forwards but the sticking-plaster selection of Dave Ward, the hooker, as open-side flanker worked well enough in the four-try, 26-25 loss at Exeter on Saturday.

A clattering head-to-head battle between Chris Robshaw and Exeter’s uncapped Dave Ewers showcased their claims to be England’s next blind-side flanker, in a position also contested by the likes of Tom Wood, James Haskell, Tom Croft and Maro Itoje.

“Dave [Ewers] has been one of the best back rows of the last few years,” said Exeter’s back-rower Tom Johnson, who won the most recent of his eight England caps in summer 2014. “He was unlucky to miss out on the World Cup but that might turn out to be a blessing. You do play off Dave – he is a big carrier, he warrants a lot of attention. But it’s important to share his workload because he gets through an awful lot of it.” And Robshaw? “He knows his game inside out and he works very hard for the team,” said Johnson. “There’s a lot to be said for having a selfless player.”

Quins have lost the injured Fiji flanker Netani Talei for the season and James Chisholm will be missing for 12 to 14 weeks, in addition to shorter-term absentees in Jack Clifford, Mat Luamanu, Luke Wallace and Marland Yarde.

There were complaints from Quins about an Exeter try just before half-time aided by a crafty fish into a breakdown by Thomas Waldrom. But maybe it was justice for the Exeter No 8 being roughed up by Mike Brown at a couple of rucks. And in the second half Quins had the rub of the Sandy Park green with a one-in-a-million try when Brown overhit a grubber, only to see it rebound off the corner flag to his wing, Tim Visser.