Merry Quinsmas: Worcester 20-27 Harlequins
By Harley Quin
December 28 2006
There are games which are so important that only the result matters. So it was at Sixways last night. In a must win game, particularly for the home side. A combination of opportunism, dogged resistance and the boot of Andrew Mehrtens saw Quins home to a vital victory.
In truth, it was not a pretty game. With greasy conditions, both sides made many handling errors as, at times, the ball resembled a bar of wet soap. However, the tension and importance of the occasion kept everybody’s eyes glued to the field of play.
The visitors got off to a dream start. From the kick-off, the chase recovered the ball and Worcester conceded the first penalty of the night. New Zealand’s all time leading points scorer stepped up to land a very difficult kick from near the right hand touchline.
With their lineout working impeccably and their scrum in dominant mood, Worcester laid siege. Quins could not escape from their own 22. Only a combination of desperate defence and Lombard just failing to get to Brown’s chip through kept the try line in tact. However, as invariably happens in those situations, the penalties started to mount.
Brown nailed two after 5 and 12 minutes to give the home side the lead, 6-3. It all looked pretty ominous for Quins. Then came the first moment of opportunism that turned the game back towards Harlequins. After scrappy play in midfield, the ball bounced back towards Delport, who dropped it. Mike Brown came charging through and, in true soccer style, dribbled the ball past the remaining defenders and won the chase to the line. It was a try that will do nothing for the blood pressure of the Warriors’ coaching staff. Merthens duly added the extras and, against all the run of play, there were Harlequins with a 10-6 lead.
It got better. Showing a flash of the centre play for which he was signed, Stuart Abbott breached the defence in midfield and attacked down the left. Good support play took the ball deep into the 22. Quins recycled and Volley surged through towards the posts. When the tackle eventually came he swivelled and off-loaded to David Strettle, who had both the speed and determination to score from 10 yards out. AM added the extras and, incredibly, the visitors led 17-6 after 20 minutes. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of Sixways.
However, the Worcester forwards really did have the upper hand and continued to force their territorial dominance. Two more penalties were duly converted (one wasn’t) and Quins lead at half time was reduced to a tenuous 17-12.
The second half got off to the worst possible start. Quins knocked-on their third kick off reception of the evening and after only 5 minutes lost Ollie Kohn to the sin bin, for sneaking into the wrong side of a driving maul. When Brown reduced the deficit to 2 points with another penalty, the travelling fans held their collective breath.
Then it happened. Mike Ross went down with a sprained ankle and hobbled off, to the jeers of the home side. With only one fit prop, that meant uncontested scrums. It blunted a huge advantage that the home side had enjoyed throughout.
As good as their pack is, Worcester are just woeful in the backs. A laboured move along the back line saw the ball dropped and scooped up by a multi-coloured “blur” called Simon Keogh, who ran 60 yards untouched to score in the corner. Mehrtens landed another very difficult kick from near the touchline to give Quins a bit of breathing space, which he added to after 57 minutes with another penalty to make it 27-15.
As Keogh slid in to ground the ball, he looked up to see Heath Quinn going “mental” on the other side of the fence. Having grounded, he tossed him the ball. He caught it – and threw it back. It is now known as the “Immaculate Reception” in certain parts of South East London and was being discussed late into the night by anybody who couldn’t get away from Heath!
Back in the real world, Quins had 23 minutes to survive. Worcester only have one real attacking option. Grind it out in the forwards. With no scrumaging to consider they brought on more heavy artillery and after 70 minutes they kicked a penalty into the corner and from the lineout Quinnell smashed his way over. Brown converted, leaving the home team only seven behind.
Once again, collective breath was held. No need. Not once in the last 10 minutes did Worcester manage any attacking platform to cause even momentary anxiety to Quins. With the savvy veterans Gommers and Mehrts controlling the game, it was Quins who had all the territory. Mehrtens even had the chance to deny Worcester a bonus point with a long range penalty at the death, but it was wide left.
So ended what I consider the biggest game since the Club got relegated. It moved Quins back up to eighth place and 12 points above the bottom placed team.
After the game, Deano singled out Quins young guns. “Our back three played well today, I was really pleased for them. The young guy at fly half had a reasonable game as well!” Brown, Strettle and Keogh had at least one scintillating run each, in addition to their tries and Brown and Mehrtens both kicked long on a night for safety first rugby. Mehrtens also landed several very difficult kicks to give Quins a winning platform.
Dean was also proud of the last 10 minutes. “One of the biggest criticisms I’ve had of the side over the last few months is that we sometimes don’t know how to put a game to bed. Last week, with 4 or 5 minutes to go, one point up and we didn’t play the type of rugby that we should have done. I think this week we did do. We played to win and come away with the points. They showed a certain amount of mettle today and a bit of nous that they probably lacked a bit of last week.”
With that, Deano scooped up the remaining pasties and sandwiches in the press room and left. It wasn’t the only things the Quins nicked on the night!
Attendance: 10,797
NEC Harlequins
15. Brown, 14. Strettle, 13. Deane, 12. Abbott (Duffy 77 mins.),11. Keogh, 10. Mehrtens, 9. Gomarsall, 1. Jones (Nebbett 41 mins.), 2. Fuga, 3. Ross (Spanghero 50 mins.), 4. Kohn, 5. Evans, 6. Vos, 7. Volley (Capt.), 8. Easter.
Replacements: 16. Richards, 17. Nebbett (Jones 41 mins.), 18. Spanghero (Ross 50 mins.), 19 Hala’ufia, 20. So’oialo, 21. Jarvis, 22. Duffy (Abbott 77 mins.).
Worcester Warriors
15.Delport (Drahm 55 mins.), 14. Kaufusi, 13. Rasmussen, 12. Lombard (Tucker 67 mins.), 11. Garvey, 10. Brown, 9. Powell, 1. Taumoepeau (Morris 52 mins.), 2. Lutui, 3. Horsman (Taumoepeau 71 mins.), 4. Gillies, 5. Collier (Murphy 67 mins.), 6. Sanderson (Capt.), 7. Harding (Quinnell 58 mins.), 8. Horstmann.
Replacements: 16. Morris (Taumoepeau 52 mins.), 17. Fortey, 18. Murphy (Collier 67 mins.), 19. Quinnell (Harding 58 mins.), 20. Powell, 21. Drahm (Delport 55 mins.), 22. Tucker (Lombard 67 mins.).