Quins 2nd XV Overpower Worcester 42 - 17
By AlanQuin
November 26 2002
With their forwards overpowering the Worcester pack and giving the backs space and opportunity to run, aided by a fine controlling performance by Seb Fitzgerald, the 2nd XV ran in six converted tries and were deserved winners by 42 points to 17 points.
After only five minutes play the backs attacked and fine running by Henry Barrat produced good ball for Fitzgerald to put Matt Powell in under the posts. Fitzgerald converted.
Worcester sought to counter-attack and gradually their pack began picking up and driving forward which brought them into then Quins half for the first time and they succeeded eventually in obtaining a penalty in front of the posts and about 35 metres out. The kick to touch produced a lineout inside the 22 metre line and led to a ruck close to the line from which Worcester spun the ball across the pitch finding a two man overlap on the right from which the winger, Johnson, scored. The conversion was missed.
The Quins packs reasserted their dominance and continued to produce good ball both from scrum and line-out with Rudski and Evans both winning ball on the Worcester throws. Fitzgerald kicked well from hand and found touch frequently deep in the Worcester half. After 21 minutes, following another good run by Barrat, a penalty kicked deep into the Worcester 22 gave a line-out from which the ball was passed rapidly into centre field where a delightfully delayed pass by the fly-half put Alex Mockford through for another try. Duly converted that brought the score to 14 - 5 which was the score at half-time.
Quins began the second half in much the same mode as they had been playing before the interval. Despite improved Worcester kicking for position Evans and Rudski, aided by accurate throwing from Hayter, commanded the line-out and some 8 minutes into the half a drive from the lineout saw Rudzki break off to score. Fitzgerald again converted and the score was 21 - 5 .
Shortly after another line-out and drive resulted in a pushover try by Jon Dawson. Fitzgerald again converted to bring the score to 28 - 5. The dominance in line out and scrum was almost complete and within minutes another try resulted from quick passing along the line to produce a two man overlap and a good try for Barrat.
With the score now at 35 - 5 Quins appeared to lose some concentration and handling errors allowed the Worcester scrum-half, Richardson, to run in unchallenged in the left corner. The conversion was missed.
Quins continued to attack with good handling and quick passing. The inside ball was, perhaps, too often relied upon instead of the wide pass and when the ball was spun wide on one occasion a four man overlap was lost by an over ambitious miss pass to the end of the line.
Once again the foot seemed to be taken off the pedal and Worcester were allowed to break out and Mountford ran in to score under the posts. This time the conversion was added and the score was 35 - 17. Quins mounted a further final assault and once again Powell and Fitzgerald combined to produce a try for the fly-half under the posts. He added the extra points and the final score was 42 - 17.
This was a good performance by the 2nd XV. Good performances came from the forwards but also particularly from Love and Barrat in the centre and Fitzgerald whose control and kicking reflected the best performance he has given this season.
Scorers:
Harlequins:
Tries: Powell; Mockford; Rudzki; Dawson; Barrat; Fitzgerald
Conversions: Fitzgerald 6
Worcester:
Tries: Johnson; Richardson; Mountford
Conversion: Higgins
Harlequins 2nd XV: Williams (Jarvis, 70 min), Osho, Barrat, Love (Bemand, 74 min), Wilcocks, FitzGerald, Powell, Cardinali, Hayter (Walton, 60 min), Dawson, Rudzki, Evans, Griffin, Mockford, Horstmann
Replacements: Walton, Parker, Cracknell, Bemand, Jarvis, Reay
Worcester 2nd XV: Sutton, Moule, Starling, Mountford, Johnson, Higgins, Richardson, Mason, Pearl, Lymon, Matthews, Morgan, Rawlings, Ringer, Payne
Replacements: Howell, Davis, Percival, Jones, McAtee, Rowlett