Harlequins director of rugby John Kingston praised his side’s determination after they bounced back from a first-round defeat to claim victory over Gloucester on Saturday.

The London side proved the Stoop is still a formidable ground for visitors as they crossed the whitewash three times to win 28-17.

Kyle Sinckler made a bid for best offload of the weekend, scooping the ball behind his back into the arms of man-of-the-match Marcus Smith, with the play culminating in Quins’ first try of the afternoon from Dave Ward.

Another special moment came as Mike Brown became the club’s most capped player of the professional era, stepping out for the 282nd time in a Quins jersey.

But it was the performance of the team as a whole which pleased Kingston, as last season’s sixth-place finishers showed they have what it takes to succeed in the Premiership again after losing to recently-promoted London Irish in round one.

"The bottom line was I demanded a reaction from last week,” he said.

"That wasn't what we feel we are, with all due respect, because the opposition did play well.

“Today, we were working really hard for all the crumbs and the loose balls, the physicality was there and the work ethic.

"I have just said to them that if two games encompass what this league is about, it is there.

“You have to want it. If you are not absolutely desperate, you will come unstuck in this league."

The match was not all highs though, and silence fell at The Stoop when fly-half Demetri Catrakilis stopped breathing after taking a shoulder to the throat.

The South African remains in hospital after fracturing a bone in his throat, but does not require surgery.

"He was struggling to breathe on the pitch, the area to breathe properly was not clearing and needed to get oxygen,” Kingston added.

"We needed to get him to hospital, it was precautionary but when you get a blockage like that, it is something you have to react quickly to.

"It was a shoulder to his throat that was causing him difficulty and, indeed, he did not breathe for a few seconds.

“But then he started to and the oxygen helped him after he came off the pitch."