Memories Purged: Northampton Saints 15-28 Quins
By CornyQuin
February 19 2007
From Northampton – home of the Carlsberg brewery. Carlsberg don’t do match reports but if they did they’d probably be the best match reports you could read …… Well, it wouldn’t get much better than this though: “Quins won”. [end].
OK, there was a game. And before that the tension, the build-up. The great atmosphere there always is at Franklin’s Gardens. The questions on a lot of Quins’ fans’ lips were: Can we do it? Can we win after 10 years of not coming away from Northampton with the spoils? Can we, perhaps more than anything, purge the memory so many of us had of 2 years ago and the last minute loss that so many of us saw as the result that sent Quins to ND1 for a season.
The stage was set. Quins have had a fine run of form and results in the league and Saints well, quite the opposite. Saints have been struggling with injuries all season and haven’t been able to put out their first choice 15 since perhaps the 1st couple of games of the season. So surely, this was time for a Quins payback.
Then Saints announced their team. I, looked at it and saw some of those names they have missed on and off over the season – Pat Barnard, Ben Cohen. Bruce Reihana - How both the Saints team and the fans have missed him. Their team looked back to near full-strength – the question was could it buck the losing habit?
But I’d already seen the Quins team. And its starting to look good when you see the names on paper now. The forwards are solid and you know its going to take a very good pack indeed to better them. And the backs look exciting – pace and penetration across the line.
Teams announced then and it was all set for a cracking day at Franklins Gardens – always one of the better away trips.
Before the game there was a late change to the Quins team when Mrs Spanghero brought ‘Junior’ into the world and Nic was given the day off. Congratulations to the proud parents. Nic was replaced in the starting line-up by Jim Evans with Simon Miall taking Jim’s bench spot.
Settling into our seats, the tension in the Saints fans around us was all too evident. I’ve been to the Gardens a few times this season and the “Oh Wendy” chants this time didn’t yet seem to have the volume or frequency as previous games. The Saints fans were well aware that they were about to get stuck into one of those “must win” games. And the Quins fans – most of whom were corralled into the South West Corner of the ground – were up for it. Not drowning out the home support – that’s just not possible at the Gardens – but making one helluva racket from the off.
Kick off.
And it was obvious Saints were “up for it” too. Saints, playing towards the South in the first half, kicked off. It didn’t take long for the first “incident”. From a Saints lineout, they won their own ball and quickly put the ball out to the centres, where Cohen popped up off his wing – the first of many such wanderings on the day. Spencer chipped ahead but straight into Ugo Monye’s arms and his offload to Abbott saw the Quins centre double-whammied by Cohen and Tupai. A lengthy stoppage followed while Abbott received treatment. He walked, rather gingerly, off the pitch to generous applause and was replaced by Hal Luscombe. 1 minute 20 seconds gone and the first casualty.
A good Quins scrum sees new England cap Nick Easter take from the back and set the ball up for the backs where David Strettle tests Saints with a chip over their three quarters. The resulting Quins lineout on the Saints 5m line is disappointingly lost but the clearing kick goes straight to David Strettle who breaks one tackle and feeds to Ugo who is forced into touch on the Saints 22.
Saints win their own lineout but messily and the resulting delayed clearance by Spencer is charged down smartly by Andy Gomarsall, who’s quickest to react to the lose ball and touches down for a Quins try after just 4 and ½ minutes. Adrian Jarvis converts a not too difficult kick and Quins have an early 7-0 lead.
From the restart, Mike Brown looks solid and Gomarsall puts in a good clearance. But Saints are getting into their stride – a good lineout win and they again put the ball through hands a few times but knock on when a forward finds himself in the centres. Saints win a scrum but good Quins defence and effective counter-rucking sees Quins force a knock on from Saints. The next casualty is lying on the ground – but this time it’s a Saintsman – Pat Barnard. Only just back from injury and his game has lasted less than 8 minutes. He’s replaced by a face familiar to Quins from their match-ups with Bedford last season – its “Tiny” Soane Tonga’uiha.
A few phases of play later and Jarvis gets a chance to extend the lead. A penalty for offside against Saints leaves a kick that’s central but a good 43 or so metres out. The attempt drops a few metres short. The resulting clearance kick doesn’t reach touch and Quins take it back through Strettle who is tackled well by Bruce Reihana who seems to be very quickly back onto the pace after a very lengthy time out with injury. Strettle is penalised for holding onto the ball after the tackle. The first of many incidents of handbags surfaces with Strettle looking particularly fired up and some of the Saints players obviously ‘on the edge’. The ref has seen this too and speaks to both captains.
The kick to touch gives Saints a lineout but Quins steal the ball and put a high one up. Cohen takes well and takes it up to the defence who are penalised when the tackler doesn’t roll away. Saints kick to touch again and the Franklins Gardens faithful crank up the volume. Saints win their own lineout on 25m and put it through the centres where once again Cohen pops up – shadowed by Strettle who looks out to make a point or two. Another Saints knock-on gives Quins the ball and Brown makes a good clearance to touch.
A spell of scrappy play sees Quins get another penalty and a kick to touch in the North East corner. But another lost lineout and some backchat to the referee sees Saints get the penalty which they clear to the half way. They win the lineout and again spread the ball with good hands through the backs. They look to have some go-forward and the crowd are behind them. But yet another knock on gives Quins the scrum, which Easter and Gomarsall combine well for to clear back to the half way.
Kohn steals the lineout for Quins but Gomarsall makes a rare poor kick to give possession back to Saints. They are awarded a penalty and kick to touch on the Quins 22, take the lineout and set up a maul then spread the ball wide – first to the right, then stretching it all the way back to the left. A knock on by the Quins defence gives a Saints scrum 10m out. The home crowd are encouraged by a good spell of Saints possession and pressure.
But the scrum is messy, possession turned over and Quins have weathered the storm. They win their own scrum and Jarvis clears well.
20 minutes gone and so far so good for Quins.
Saints win the lineout and test Strettle with a high ball. He’s more than equal and fields it well – he’s playing with great confidence. Jarvis again clears deep into Saints territory. At the lineout the touch judge has obviously spotted more of the tetchiness that seems to becoming more evident as the game goes on. Mr Pearson talks to Paul Volley for the second time and this time shows him and Saints’ Short a yellow for fighting. Quins get the penalty so I guess Short was the aggressor and Volley reacted.
A clean take at the lineout from Nick Easter sees Gomarsall break but turned over by Saints who win a penalty. Spencer clears to the 10m and Saints win their ball and put it up high. Very high. Strettle takes well but is hammered as he comes down with it by Cohen – this is developing into an epic one-on-one. And just exactly how much so is demonstrated just then as the two scuffle after the tackle and then one of those “I was there” / “What happened next” incidents that simply beggars belief.
Cohen must be in a blind rage. That is the only explanation I can think of. He’s had a lot of coffee before the game, or cans of Red Bull. Or just the desire of a home-town boy not wanting his team to go down. He’s obviously fired up for the game. But as he springs to his feet after the scuffle with Strettle he stiff arms the touch judge to the floor in a move that, if he’d done it in the street would have him looking at an assault charge. The touch judge goes flying backwards onto his bum and almost as soon as he hits the floor, Cohen realises what he’s done and picks him straight back up. Apparently, we are told, he mistook the touch judge’s dark hair, red and black shirt and his flag in hand for David Strettle’s blond locks, pastel-shaded shirt and distinct lack of flag.
It will be interesting to see what, if anything, is done about Cohen’s actions. The touch judge didn’t bring it to the attention of the referee, who I’m not sure saw the incident at all, so no action was taken on the pitch. Cohen stayed on – much to the amazement of both Quins and Saints fans around us. Can you do that? Incredible.
A couple of penalties for Saints takes them very close to the Quins line. They win their own lineout and set up a maul and good work by the motivated Saints pack push Quins back over the line and down. Mr Pearson adjudges the ball to be grounded and awards the try to Paul Tupai – the Saints no 8. Spencer misses a difficult conversion attempt. 5 – 7 with 25 feisty minutes gone.
From the restart Saints play the ball well through hands again and press Quins down to within 5 metres of the line. But yet another knock on by Saints gives possession away. It must be the nerves and pressure of their situation. Even so, Saints are looking confident and more cohesive in the backs than for many a week.
But Quins are up to the task confronting them. More good defensive scrummaging and control by Nick Easter sees Gomarsall and Jarvis combine to peg Saints back into their own half. A few exchanges of possession with 5 minutes to go before half time ends up with a Saints clearance into the Quins in goal area and the drop out goes straight to Mark Robinson. He feeds Reihana who passes onto Cohen and Saints swing the ball first right and then left. It’s looking good for Saints and the crowd are getting behind their team. But Dylan Hartley, the very promising young Saints hooker wastes a 4 on 2 overlap on the right wing to take possession into contact. Kohn intercepts when Saints try to get it going again and once more Quins have withstood sustained Saints pressure well.
The last moments of the first half see another Saints lineout win with the ball once more quickly moved to Cohen. He’s taken to the ground by Mike Brown and again there’s some afters. It appears that the ex-England winger has the young Saxons full-back’s mouth stuck on his fingers! The touch judge steps in and once more the ref has to have a chat.
Half time arrives with a rather loud and unappreciative reception from the crowd for Mr Pearson.
Rather more appreciation is shown, though, for the presentation during the break of some £16,000 raised by Saints fans in conjunction with fans from other clubs for the British Heart Foundation and some local junior rugby clubs. Well done Saints fans (and particularly to James Bruce who managed to persuade Quins fans to sponsor him for a healthy chunk of that total).
2nd half
A fair proportion of the crowd haven’t returned to their seats when, from the start, Strettle misses his man as Cohen took the ball and ran a full 70 metres and through some half-hearted attempts at tackles by Quins to score under the posts. This was followed by the inevitable conversion by Reihana and suddenly from feeling quietly confident, our little bunch of Quins fans were left reeling as the score board clocked up to 12-7 to Saints. Quins were definitely on the back foot and, if it were possible, Saints were even more fired up now than for the start of the match. The crowd reacted.
But we shouldn’t have worried. As if not to be out done by Cohen, Strettle decided it was his turn to show any England selectors watching that there was indeed a potential England winger on the pitch. A Quins scrum led to good possession and the ball goes to Strettle who, coming off his wing, beat Cohen with a lovely step and hand off and crossed the try line in the corner with a Saintsman hanging on to his legs. Jarvis missed the difficult conversion attempt but after just 7 minutes of the half, Quins were back on level terms.
A spell of errors on both sides followed – with Brown earning his corn with a few good clearance kicks. Saints are having a lot of possession and phases but aren’t showing much penetration. Quins win the ball after a Saints chip ahead and the ball goes to Ugo who shows good pace to break one tackle and then chip over the oncoming defence. He doesn’t have a clear run to the ball which has gone clear of any Saints players but Hal Luscombe is quick to react and almost reaches the ball to touch it down as it crosses the try line in the left hand corner. Almost, but not quite.
More Quins possession sees another break by Ugo who cuts a diagonal across the pitch and misses a couple of tackles. He’s brought down in midfield and the ruck is set and Mr Pearson spots Darren Fox’s hand where it shouldn’t have been. He gets 10 minutes rest for his sins and Adrian Jarvis accepts the easiest of 3 points. Quins back in the lead 12-15.
More scrappy play after the restart sees Saints turnover Quins’ possession and get a penalty for an infringement by Strettle. The kick to touch eventually proves fruitless though as Quins win the lineout and even though the clearance goes out on the full, the Quins forwards push the Saints maul back and are awarded the scrum. An exchange of kicks ends when at a ruck Saints are judged to have gone in at the side and Jarvis has a go at an ambitious attempt. 46 metres out. We’re not confident. But he obviously was – a great kick sails through the posts and its 18-12 to Quins half way through the second half.
More scrappy exchanges leave Saints with a penalty in Quins territory and, to a silent Franklins Gardens, Reihana lines it up and slots it over. 15-18 after 29 minutes.
So, 10 minutes to go and Gomarsall – who’s had a good game but has faded in the last 10 minutes or so – is replaced by Steve So’oialo. Is this the ultimate purging of the memories of events of 2 years ago when Steve’s box kick gave away possession and, ultimately, the lead in a game that Quins could, nay should, have won? We hope so. For Steve, for the fans, for Quins.
At a Quins lineout, Darren Fox is judged to have taken out Volley and its spotted by the ref. The crowd don’t like the call at all and Jarvis lines up the kick to a chorus of boos and jeers. It’s a difficult kick – 10m into the saints half, 15m in from the right touch. The pressure is immense and the crowd are not entirely quiet. But a great kick makes it over and through – 15-21 up and just 10 minutes left. Adrian is having a cracking second half.
Saints are by now resorting to stringing the forwards out across the back line but the Quins defence is holding up well. Saints are retaining the ball well, recycling it and going through phases. But statistics prove that the more phases the less likely a try becomes. Saints aren’t going to disprove that. They just don’t look likely to make a telling break through the line despite all the possession. And when they do – Robbie Kydd neatly stepping through a tackle – his offload goes to ground and Mike Brown gratefully clears deep into the Saints half.
More pressure and possession from Saints is again wasted when “Tiny” knocks on in the centre. Quins clear.
Clearly the frustration is showing both on and off the pitch. Almost unbelievably, with over 5 minutes to go and Saints only a converted try away from a win that could put a lot of distance between them and the threat of relegation, there starts a mass exodus of fans. Why? With players like Cohen, Reihana, Spencer on the pitch anything can happen.
But what does happen is that from Quins possession, Mel Deane – who’s had a quietly effective game in the centre – makes a magical diagonal break left to right in Saints territory. His line draws the defence and he offloads to Strettle who seems to take the whole Saints pack to stop him (as if buoyed by the MOTM award to him just announced on the tannoy). From the ruck, Steve So’oialo picks up and goes on the blind side and dives over the line in the right corner. The travelling Quins fans have a grandstand view of that one and go wild. Jarvis rounds off a very good afternoon with a miracle kick from the touchline and not long after the ref blows for full time. 15-28 to Quins.
Its done. 10 years since the last time, Quins have left Franklins Gardens with a win. Mark Evans said, to one of our party on the whistle, with some obvious joy and fist-pumping “YES!! I’ve waited 2 years for that. Two years!” I think there was a naughty word in there too but this is for family viewing!
Bad memories purged Mark. For you, for us and, we hope, for Steve.
A great team display against a disappointing yet fired up and very physical Saints. For Quins – the possibility of dreaming of the top 6 and leaving relegation worries behind. For Saints? They know they’re in the mire. Worcester lost and Saints have a game in hand and 3 points over the only team below them, but that is nothing and they must be truly worried. We know how they feel. It ain’t nice. Good luck to them for the rest of the season. I for one sincerely hope they do not get relegated but they’re going to have to completely turn their form around.
After the match, Mike Scott praised Adrian Jarvis – “he didn’t get sucked into their (Saints) game” and Paul Volley was quick to sing the praises of the travelling Quins fans. He said “The fans were great – gave us a great lift with tremendous support. I hadn’t realised it was 10 years since the last Quins victory here – so this means a lot.” He also went on to add that the team had been lifted by the sight of the Saints fans departing when only 6 points behind. “We knew we had it won then” he said. He also confirmed that Stuart Abbott was fine after his knock – more good news on a generally Good News Day for Quins!
Teams:
Northampton: Bruce Reihana (capt); Sean Lamont; Robbie Kydd; David Quinlan (Stephen Myler, 77); Ben Cohen; Carlos Spencer; Mark Robinson (Johnny Howard, 61); Tom Smith; Dylan Hartley; Pat Barnard (Soane Tonga'uiha, 7); Damien Browne; Christian Short; Alex Rae; Paul Tupai; Darren Fox (Ben Lewitt, 75).
Harlequins: Mike Brown; David Strettle; Mel Deane; Stuart Abbott (Hal Luscombe, 1); Ugo Monye; Adrian Jarvis; Andy Gomarsall (Steve So'oialo, 68); Aston Croall; Tani Fuga; Mike Ross; Ollie Kohn; Jim Evans; Andre Vos; Nick Easter; Paul Volley (capt).
Referee: David Pearson (Northumberland).
Attendance: 13,466