LIGHTNING STRUCK BRISTOL for a second time in less than four months as English Premiership leaders Harlequins fought back from 21 points down to thrash the Bears 54-24 on Friday.
In June, Bristol led Quins by 28 points at home in the Premiership semi-final before the Londoners fought back to win 43-36.
Quins went on to edge Exeter in the final at Twickenham.
On Friday, round the corner at the Twickenham Stoop, hosts Quins crossed twice in the first few minutes but both efforts were ruled out for forward passes.
Instead, Joe Joyce, Henry Purdy and Charles Piutau all touched down in the first 25 minutes and Callum Sheedy kicked three conversions as visiting Bristol raced into a 21-0 lead.
Louis Lynagh replied for Quins after 27 minutes and Marcus Smith, who had just come off the bench, kicked the conversion, but Sheedy converted a penalty to give Bristol a 24-7 half-time lead.
That evaporated in the first 10 minutes of the second half as Lynagh added a second try followed rapidly by touchdowns by Andre Esthuizen and Luke Northmore to put the home side ahead.
Will Collier and Tyrone Green made it five tries in 15 minutes.
Smith, back in the Quins squad for the first time this season after a busy summer with England and the British and Irish Lions, atoned for two missed conversions by running on to his own chip to touchdown.
Home captain Alex Dombrandt ended the scoring after intercepting a Sheedy pass in the 76th minute to score the eighth Quins try.
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