NEC Harlequins 57-10 Montpellier

By AlanQuin
October 29 2006

Eight tries, including a hat-trick from Mike Brown, took Harlequins to the top of Pool Four of the European Challenge Cup as they defeated Montpellier by 57 points to 10 for their first home win of the season. 

Following the previous week’s away win at Galway, confidence is growing that the next week or two will bring similar successes in the Guinness Premiership

On reflection there was a sense of déjà vu about the afternoon reminding one of many of last season’s try-fests in National One.  In truth there were many similarities since the French team were poor, no better than a ND1 team, and had only the benefit of a heavier pack. That eventually produced their two tries but otherwise did little to disturb the home side whose scrum was not outplayed and whose lineout was secure.

Quins’ determination was clear from the start and good kicking from hand kept the visitors in their own half of the field.  A good kick deep into the corner gave Quins an attacking line-out but Montpellier was able to clear the danger.  A kick through for Tom Williams to chase saw Quins gain an attacking scrum close to the French line.  From the scrum the ball was moved right and after being held and recycled came right to Mike Brown who crossed for his first try of the afternoon.  Jarvis added the points with a good kick and after only nine minutes Quins led 7 – 0.

A mistake at the restart gave Quins a scrum in the centre and they were immediately on the attack and fine handling and running ought to have brought another score but an interception of the final pass saw the Montpellier winger at speed  for the Quins line.  He kicked ahead and despite having some metres start, he was chased and overtaken by Ugo Monye with a phenomenal turn of speed.  He not only won the race for the ball but gained a penalty as the French winger dived off his feet, preventing Monye from playing the ball.  

Good, accurate kicking pushed Montpellier back into their twenty-two as Quins continued to spread the ball wide. Good handling increased the pressure on the visitors who then conceded a penalty for offside in front of the posts to give Jarvis an easy kick for three more points.

Quins continued to run the ball with growing confidence despite the occasional Montpellier attack.  An excellent turnover of possession inside their own tewnty-two saw Duffy and Williams combine and eventually put Danny Care in for the second try which Jarvis converted.  With seventeen minutes elapsed , Quins led by 17 – 0.

Montpellier was making some effort to retaliate and a fine kick to the corner, from a penalty for a high tackle, gave them an attacking lineout which their hooker overthrew allowing Quins to break out led by Duffy and then a good touch kick from Jarvis took Quins back to the French twenty-two.  Despite French resistance and attempts to break out they were being largely held in their own half of the field.  Another penalty saw Quins with another attacking lineout about fifteen metres from the French line.  A short throw to Ceri Jones at the front of the line saw the prop catch and jink past two defenders to put Tani Fuga over for the try in the right corner.  Jarvis added the two points with a fine kick from the touchline to give Quins a 24 – 0 lead. 

On the half-hour Hal Luscombe replaced Ugo Monye, presumably as a precautionary measure as the winger had needed treatment a little earlier.  Quins remained in attack mode and it was not long before a good cross kick to the right corner saw an acrobatic Duffy make a good catch and his inside pass to Olly Kohn saw the big lock force his way over for the bonus point try.  Another good touchline conversion by Jarvis saw Quins’ lead increase to 31 – 0 after thirty-three minutes. 

Stung to some action in retaliation, a penalty saw a fine kick from the French fly-half to give them a five metre lineout on their left.  The catch and drive was resisted and the French forwards began to pick and drive round the fringes gaining another penalty and another attacking lineout.  The pattern was resumed and despite valiant Quins’ defence, the French flanker, Martin Durand, eventually forced his way over the Quins’ line to open the visitors’ score.  Todeschini’s kick missed leaving the score at 31 – 5. Quins went back onto attack and another acrobatic catch of a cross-kick to Duffy produced only another attacking lineout as the half ended without further score. 

Hayter replaced Fuga at the start of the second half and Montpellier also made one change in the back row of the scrum.  Quins were immediately on attack with ball in hand and slick passing and handling saw the ball come to Tom Williams who threaded his way for 40 metres through a host of defenders, not one of whom laid a finger on him, to score under the posts.  Jarvis again slotted the easy conversion as the second minute of the half ticked away. 

There might have been another score a minute or so later as a fine tackle by Jordan Turner-Hall ripped the ball out of the arms of a Frenchman and good passing followed by a kick through saw both Williams and Luscombe in pursuit but the defender was held to have carried the ball over as he just beat the two Quins to touch down.  

Over the next twenty minutes both sides brought on replacements and Quins appeared to lose their way and allowed Montpellier back into the game.  Quins replaced Ross and Easter with Lorne Ward and Tom Guest and an injury to Hayter saw Fuga return. Montpelier replaced a lock and a prop and their fly-half.  The French began to exert some pressure upon the home side.  A quick tap penalty allowed them to penetrate into the Quins’ twenty-two and Mike Brown was forced to carry over his own tryline and touch down to give the French an attacking scrum.  A series of penalties brought a warning to Paul Volley from the Italian referee and yet another attacking lineout for the French.  A strong catch and drive from the lineout saw centre Sebastien Mercier cross for the try.  Trinh’duc, the replacement fly-half, missed the conversion 38 -10. 

Still more replacements saw Gomersall, Evans and McMullen replace Care, Kohn and Jarvis while Mike Brown took over the kicking duties.  Montpellier were continuing to use their forwards with pick and drive moves around the fringes.  A good break by Tom Guest took Quins forward again and a penalty allowed Brown a fine kick to the corner.  From the lineout the ball came right and a knock-on gave Quins an attacking scrum about ten metres out in front of the posts.  Suddenly the scrum was moving backwards rapidly towards the French line as Quins’ forwards struck and Guest was able to pick up from the base of the scrum and cross for the try. Brown added the points to increase the lead to 43-10 with ten minutes remaining. 

Those last ten minutes were long enough for Mike Brown to score two more tries and convert the first to leave Quins winners by 57 – 10. 

After the match Dean Richards categorised the game as “on the whole it was a satisfactory performance.”  Asked if he was satisfied with the variety of Quins’ play, he replied, “You have to take into account that the first twenty minutes contained probably everything. Great forward dominance and pressure; great forward play linked by great play by the half-backs in terms of controlling the game positionally and with ball in hand.  The outside backs also played exceptionally well. Jordan Turner-Hall showed again why we think so highly of him and Danny Care had a good game and Mike Brown and all the youngsters.  One of the biggest plusses is that all the youngsters came through so well.” 

He went on, “Montpellier sometimes travel well and sometimes they don’t.  A lot depends on what happens in the first twenty minutes.  I felt we played in the right areas of the field and put a lot of pressure on them.  Going in 31 – 5 at half-time, I didn’t think they were going to come back.  We had to make sure we scored soon after half-time and we did.” 

Asked about injuries he said that he hoped that Abbott, Strettle and even Mehrtens would take part in training next week although not full contact.  He hoped that a week or two would see them coming back.  He said “The focus now has changed to Northampton and that will be a hard game.” 

So Harlequins had their second win of the season and their first at home.  It will no doubt give the team some confidence going back to three hard fixtures in the Premiership but that will be a much sterner challenge than what was no more than another match at a lower level.  It really was like being back in ND1!. 

TEAMS:
Harlequins:  15. M. Brown; 14. T. Williams, 13. G. Duffy, 11. U. Monye (Luscombe 30); 10. A. Jarvis (Mc Mullen 68), 9. D. Care (Gomersall 68), 1. C. Jones, 2 T. Fuga (Hayter 40 – 51) 3. M. Ross (Ward 51), 4. O. Kohn (Evans 68), 5. N. Spanghero, 6. A. Vos, 7. P. Volley (capt), 8 N. Easter (Guest 51) 
Replacements: 16. J. Hayter, 17 L. Ward, 18 J. Evans, 19, T. Guest, 20, A. Gomersall, 21. H. Luscombe, 22. C McMullen. 

Montpellier: 16 J. Alcade, 14. A. Koko, 13. S. Mercier, 12. M. Taele, 11. J. Boussuge, 10. F. Todeschini, 9. H. Crane, 1. P. Toleafoa, 2. J. Caudullo, 3. A. Vigna, 4. M. Macurdy, 5. DE. Hancke,  6. M. Durand, 7. C Mathieu, 8 J. Russell (capt)
Replacements: 16. J. Jaen, 17. D. Vaudaine, 18. M. Bert, 19 F. Ouedraogo, 19. J. Tomas, 21. F. Trinh’duc, 22.  F. Charrier. 

Referee: Carlo Demasco (Italy)