Gloucester thwarted any chance of Harlequins ending their miserable start to the Zurich Premiership season with a battle-hardened display at Kingsholm Park.

Going into the game on the back of five consecutive defeats, crisis side Harlequins stunned Gloucester into submission during a ferocious first quarter.

The London side scrambled over Gloucester's defence and fly-half Jeremy Staunton soon put Harlequins ahead with a fourth minute penalty.

Full-back Gavin Duffy then stretched the deficit further with a try which again saw Quins shatter the home defence into pieces. Staunton converted.

The way Harlequins began the game certainly acted as a wake-up call to Gloucester - a side who have lost just one this season and were certainly not going to let Quins run amok at their Kingsholm fortress.

What seemed to follow was a ferocious onslaught from the West Country side.

Henry Paul converted a penalty for England winger James Simpson-Daniel who put Gloucester back with a sublime touchdown.

Just moments earlier, number eight James Forrester had failed to score after he was held up at the line after a Gloucester bowling maul, but Paul switched the run of play out wide and a spot-on long pass from Duncan McRae set up Simpson-Daniel on the left wing to score.

Paul missed a conversion but he made amends minutes later with another superb Gloucester try, which underlined the home side's desire to pocket another league win.

This McRae set up a pouncing Terry Fanolua who blasted through Harlequin's defence. The centre was brought down short of the line but Paul carried on the mood and then converted his own try.

But Fanolua did not have to wait long to register his first touchdown. After another quick ball from Andy Gomarsall, the Samoan dummied Will Greenwood before side-stepping Mark Lambert to score under the post.

Paul converted to put Gloucester 20-13 up.

Harlequins, however, were not yet ready to throw in the towel and England centre Greenwood reduced the deficit with a 48th-minute try.

His effort was soon cancelled out by in-form Fanolua who not only stamped Gloucester's authority on the game but also secured the side's first try bonus point of the season with Gloucester's fourth score of the afternoon, and Paul converted.

Only an last-gasp Staunton penalty prevented Harlequins from going home empty-handed, although with just three points from six matches the London side have a mountain to climb already.

Teams:

Gloucester: Goodridge, Garvey, Fanolua, Paul, Simpson-Daniel, McRae, Gomarsall, Bezuidenhout, Azam, Powell, Buxton, Brown, Boer, Hazell, Forrester.

Replacements: Bailey for Fanolua (76), Fortey for Azam (58), Vickery for Powell (53), Balding for Hazell (53).

Not Used: Sigley, Eustace, Page.

Tries: Simpson-Daniel, Paul, Fanolua 2.

Cons: Paul 3.

Pens: Paul.

Harlequins: Duffy, Harder, Greenwood, James, Monye, Staunton, Henjak, Jones, Fuga, Lambert, Winters, Miall, Easter, Vos, Diprose.

Replacements: Jarvis for Duffy (73), Keogh for Monye (72), Dawson for Lambert (67), Rudzki for Winters (60), Sherriff for Easter (71).

Not Used: Dott, Palepoi.

Tries: Duffy, Greenwood.

Cons: Staunton 2.

Pens: Staunton 3.

Att: 11,471

Ref: Tony Spreadbury (Bristol).