Two superb tries each from the enigmatic Austin Healey and England captain Martin Johnson turned a 14-10 half-time deficit into an impressive victory.

Leicester could not have had a better start when Ireland international winger Geordan Murphy kicked ahead and won the race to touchdown after just 30 seconds.

But the early running of Tim Stimpson, who converted Murphy’s lightning touchdown, disrupted them.

The England full-back was lead away with blood streaming from a bad gash near his eye and while Leicester were reduced to 14 men Harlequin’s fly-half Paul Burke charged down a kick and exploited the defensive gap with a try.

Murphy moved to full-back and took over the goal-kicking duties but Burke had kicked three penalties to ease Harlequins 14-7 ahead before he managed his first success with a 35th-minute penalty.

Harlequins head coach John Kingston, who had been critical of his side following three successive Premiership defeats can have had no complaints about their commitment in the first half.

But there must be big question marks over the way they fell apart after half-time.

Leicester who had fired a warning by applying pressure in the closing stages of the first half, took just three minutes of the second to regain the lead when Healey went effortlessly round Quins centre Chris Bell to leave Murphy an easy conversion.

Ten minutes later Harlequins’ defensive frailties were exposed again when a five-man move, begun on the right by Freddie Tuilagi, finished on the left with Back sending Johnson over to put them 24-14 ahead.

Tuilagi limped off to be replaced by Jon Dawson, who took over as stand off with Healey switching to the right wing from where he produced a real moment of magic.

He came face to face with fellow England winger Dan Luger on the touchline and skinned him, sublimely dancing away from the challenge to race clear for a try of the highest order. Murphy added the conversion and Leicester looked home and dry.

But then they were reduced to 14 men when England prop Graham Rowntree was sin-binned for a professional foul as he illegally stopped Harlequins from moving the ball near his own line.

They were stopped short but the ball came out to replacement Scott Bernand who forced his way over for Burke to convert.

But Johnson put the issue beyond doubt when he stormed in for his second and Murphy was again on target.

With only half the season Leicester look to be on an unstoppable march to the title but Harlequins desperately need a good result soon if they are realise their top-six ambitions.