Harlequins full-back Mike Brown believes his teammates are playing with a smile on their faces of late, and that has shown with results picking up. 

Brown scored his side’s opening try in their 37-24 victory over Leicester Tigers at Twickenham Stoop on Saturday, as Quins made it three successive victories in the Gallagher Premiership. 

In fact, you have to go back to Boxing Day for the last time they tasted defeat, as they went down to league leaders Bristol Bears, but last weekend’s victory puts them just six points off top spot after nine matches played. 

And former England international Brown believes that run is the result of a happy camp at Quins, with the coaching team of Jerry Flannery, Nick Millard and Adam Jones unbeaten since taking over the reins from Paul Gustard in January. 

“It does look like we’re playing with a smile on our faces and we are, we’re playing with tempo and a fast-paced game,” Brown said. 

“But we are also still continuing with the kicking game and set-piece because we know if you want to win things you need to have that full-rounded game. 

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s hard work as well. It’s not about sevens and trying to chuck the ball around, it’s about still playing in the right areas and still being strong in the set-piece and our kicking game. 

“But off the back of that when we get in the right areas we’re trying to play with that high tempo, the offloading, the moving to the wide channels, which is a strength of the players we’ve got here.” 

Brown notched his third try of the season in the victory over the Tigers on Saturday, as he responded after Cyle Brink gave the visitors an early lead. 

16 more points from Marcus Smith put the hosts into the ascendency before the break, as the fly-half helped himself to three penalties, as well as converting his own try on the half-hour mark. 

A manic first half saw Jack van Poortvliet and Andre Esterhuizen exchange tries before the whistle to make the score 30-17 at the break, before Louis Lynagh and George Martin scored a try apiece to round off the scoring early in the second stanza. 

The try for Lynagh was the 20-year-old’s first at the Stoop, and Brown believes the young talent - who is the son of former Australia fly-half Michael - has a bright future ahead of him. 

“He’s been brilliant, he’s a top competitor and a driven young man. He works extremely hard and is desperate to learn and desperate to get better,” Brown said. 

“For me as an older player that motivates me as well, I want to be around people like that to push me as well, and it’s great that he wants to learn from me. 

“I want to help those guys so it’s great to work with him and he deserves it, he’s been working hard for a season or two now.”