Craig Chalmers had the last laugh at Headingley on Sunday afternoon as Harlequins advanced to a European Shield meeting with Narbonne on May 20.

On his first start since January, the former Scotland international rammed the ironic chuckles of the Newcastle fans firmly down their throats with all 17 points for his team as Quins avenged January's Tetley's Bitter final defeat to their opponents.

Two abject penalty failures from in front of the sticks threatened a miserable afternoon for Chalmers but after finally breaking his duck just before the interval, he then took centre stage, landing two more penalties, a drop goal and the only try.

It was a throw back to the days of a decade ago when Chalmers became a British Lion and the player himself could hardly have expected such fortune when he could not even make Glasgow Caledonians' bench earlier this season.

Of more concern to Graham Henry will be the state of Jonny Wilkinson.

After carrying on despite lengthy treatment for a neck injury sustained in the first few minutes, the England stand-off had to be helped from the field late in the game after sustaining another nasty knock in roughly the same area.

With the British Lions tour party due to be announced on Wednesday, Henry will be eager to learn what damage has been done to a man almost certain to be a member of his Test line-up in Australia.

Quins' pre-match grumble with the tournament organisers over the registration of another hooker because they had none guaranteed to be fit for the game was at least proved when they named Keith Wood on the bench despite popping a rib.

However, Tani Fuga started the match with no apparent problems and continued to the final whistle of a contest which eventually came to life after adismal opening period.

With both sides seemingly content to wage war in midfield, running rugby was at a premium.

Jamie Noon did manage one electrifying break over halfway as the interval approached but the rest was turgid stuff.

At one point the attentions of a noisy crowd drifted to a grappling match between May and Steve White-Cooper yards from the action.

But though that went unpunished by Jim Fleming, the Scottish official hadlittle hesitation in despatching rival skippers Doddie Weir and David Wilson to the sin-bin after they had exchanged punches, probably out of boredom.

Quins had two major cup memories to fall back on, the last-gasp Twickenham defeat and their shock 22-18 win over Leicester in the semi-final of thesame competition.

On the latter occasion, Chalmers missed six of his nine kicks at goal, so his team-mates might have sensed it was a good omen when he failed so woefully early on.

His first conversion came two minutes before the break, by which time opposite number Jonny Wilkinson had already put his team six points in front.

Chalmers levelled shortly after the restart with a crisply taken drop-goal and then arrived with perfect timing to take Will Greenwood's slipped pass for the opening try.

In what was turning into a cameo performance, the Scot failed to get anywhere near the posts with his conversion attempt but then found his range with a penalty just before the hour to take his team eight points clear.

It was from a similar position that Newcastle launched their amazing fightback at Twickenham and Va'aiga Tuigamala, thrown into the fray from the replacements' bench, threatened an immediate counter with a typically bulldozing run which Fuga was either brave or stupid to get in the way of.

Quins number eight Roy Winters was sin-binned to make his side's task slightly harder 15 minutes from time, although Wilkinson's failure to convert the subsequent penalty at least allowed the Londoners to breathe slightly easier.

Wilkinson didn't pass up his next chance - from barely 15 metres - but bynow Chalmers could do nothing wrong and stepped up to send a third penalty searing between the posts from the touchline.

Another reply from Wilkinson ensured a few nervy moments towards the end but this time, Quins managed to hold firm.

Teams:

Newcastle: Walder, Stephenson, Noon, May, Taione, Wilkinson, Armstrong, Ward, Nesdale, Hurter, Grimes, Weir, Vyvyan, Mower, Arnold.

Replacements: Tuigamala for Taione (54), MacLure for Wilkinson (80), Graham for Ward (45), Peel for Hurter (45), Devonshire for Mower (64).

Not Used: Charlton, Howe.

Sin Bin: Weir (40).

Pens: Wilkinson 4.

Harlequins: O'Neill, Gollings, Greenwood, Greenstock, O'Leary, Chalmers, M. Powell, Leonard, Fuga, Dawson, Morgan, White-Cooper, Sanderson, Wilson, Winters.

Not Used: Friday, Richards, Jennings, Starr, Wood, Codling, Jenkins.

Sin Bin: Wilson (40), Winters (65).

Tries: Chalmers.

Pens: Chalmers 3.

Drop Goals: Chalmers.

Att: 7,000

Ref: J Fleming (SRFU).