Quins slide past Sarries 36-32

pic: Simon Jones
By kwin
December 1 2002

In an error-strewn, and at times even hilarious game, Harlequins claimed their fifth consecutive home win in the league (six in all competitions) by beating an uncertain Saracens team 36-32.

The game was nothing if not exciting, with seven tries, numerous sudden reversals in fortune and plenty of end-to-end stuff as the two slides slipped, slid, knocked and juggled their way through damp afternoon.  After the game Sarries coach Buck Shelford blasted both teams, and indeed the entire Premiership,  for an generally poor level of fitness, skills, and work ethic that he claimed was way below Super 12 standard.  Certainly when he watches his own team on video back  in Watford this week, he'll find plenty of evidence to support his wild claim that just nine of the entire Sarries squad are performing with anything like the dedication he expects.

The afternoon started encouragingly as - in in block AH at least - a restless and excited crowd sang loudly and enthusiastically as Quinn the Eskimo boomed over the speaker system.   I always believed that if we would play the song, the crowd would sing it, and indeed as it's been used more and more this season, I am so pleased to hear it grow and grow.   Here's a prediction: if we keep on playing it... and someone can persuade Mad Max NOT to interrupt, even just a little bit...then before the end of the season you'll hear it spontaneously from the stands  (and while I'm  at it - how about playing this version after a cool, satisfying win)

When the kick-off came though, the smile was wiped off our faces almost as forcefully as the Kryptonite-coated Chesney ran over an attempted Andre Vos tackle, as a charged-up Sarries created immediate pressure, to win a penalty inside just two minutes.  Goode's attempt hit the woodwork, a miss that was to prove expensive.  Sarries re-gathered the ball and instantly put us under a lot of pressure. Satala had time to  miss a tackle on O Mahoney, and Sarries were looking dangerous before Will Greenwood intercepted,  distant 80m from the line. He sprinted off, but it was immediately clear he didn't have the legs to make it (Bok-bruised perhaps?) but he cleverly checked, pirouetted and executed a sweet kick to find Gollings racing up the left wing in support. Gollings made the catch about 40m out travelling a speed and it seemed he only had to pin his ears back and run, but somehow he  checked, came inside and was caught.  An inauspicious start for what was to turn out be an inauspicious game for the luckless wing.

The line out to Sarries on the 5m line was safely gathered and Satala (on Haughton) and Burkey (on Goode) had time to put in some crunching tackles from which Burkey safely converted the penalty for holding on.  3-0.  We love you Burkey, who was immediately steam-rollered in his turn by the very mobile (in this half)  Chesney. Quins caught offside.  No mistake this time 3-3, and then, shortly afterwards, 3-6.

pic: Simon Jones

From then the first quarter was all about Sarries, who kept up unending pressure. A Paul Turner special for Quins came to a looping nothing, and then Sarries were back in our half.   We defended well  but at 15 mins a well-taken Sarries lineout and resulting drive took Califano over the line, but he dropped it.  

Sarries keep the pressure up and big Jase makes an enormous tackle on the 22m line; Sarries work the ball left, to create acres of space on the right wing.  Cairns (the hooker) kicks neatly over to the right-hand corner.  A nice kick but Gollings has it easily covered - but slips over, leaving a surprised Haughton to fall on the bouncing ball for an easy try.  20 mins gone. 6-10.

At this point I have to say I became a little worried as it all seemed to be going Sarries direction. A laboured move in mid-field turned the ball over to Sarries who kicked long - only for Nathan Williams hand it back with the first of a succession of missed touch-kicks.  Chesney proved he hadn't run out of puff yet by running over an angry Vos a second time but was caught a few minutes later by Burkey with a smart tackle round the knees, and then things started to turn our way. Satala made a great strong break carrying two defenders with him, before being dragged back for a Quins penalty (advantage???)

The handling continued to be terrible but an outrageous through the legs pass from Williams reached Satala who threw away a certain chance by not spotting Gollings outside him, just metres from the line.  Suddenly it was looking promising.  Then, on 35mins from a Quins line-out on our right side, about 20m out, we were treated to a perfectly-executed planned move, as a Paul Turner special looped and passed the ball over the left hand side, dragging the hapless Saracens defence entirely with it, so that when the ball reached Shaggy he was able to hoof it straight back to the right wing where the waiting Tani Fuga determinedly out-jumped Dippy to gather and run over for a score.  13-10.  13-13 at half time after a silly penalty conceded to Goode.

The second half opened promisingly.  The restart cleared, we set up a promising Rolling Maul - Thing Of Beauty, from the lineout, followed by another, with Burkey hitting the resulting penalty as Sarries offended under pressure. 16-13. 

Restart won, and the Quins pack are on a roll.  A further RM-TOB makes us 10m and a long kick by Gollings is returned by Castaignede straight in the arms of Vos on the move.  Vos drops his head and runs like a steam train through five or six men-in-black, before being stopped, and pops up a superb, delayed pass directly into the arms of a charging Nathan whose pace, and weaving, bullocking run carries him through the defenders to score under the posts.  A superb try and impressive display of individual skills from the twosome - watch out for it on Sky on Thursday, where if it doesn't make the try-of-the-month shortlist, I'll eat my Tetley Bitter Cup 2001 Fleece hat. 

pic: Simon Jones

Seven minutes gone, 23-13 up and we're looking like tidy winners already, but Goode has other ideas.  Two minutes of pressure from Sarries and Goode receives the ball from a maul about 30m out, sells a dummy so outrageous that the entire back line seem to buy it, and he's threw for a well-deserved try. 23-20 and it's all to play for again.

A penalty to Quins made it 26-20. The rain started to fall harder, a catering manager wanders by in a Geezer apron,  and suddenly the great rugby god decided to liven things up and the ball became red-hot, or grease coated, or invisible -  or something like that anyway: In a bizarre  30 second spell, worthy of an Austin Healey video,  Sarries fumbled a ball from a scrum directly into the path of Greenwood who picked up and attempted a kick to space on the right wing, but this charged down directly into the path of Greenwood, who picks up and attempts a kick to space on the right wing.  But somehow Haughton has seen this coming and he catches the ball and easily evades the chasing Gollings and Satala, passes to Richard Hill (who has had a subdued game I have to say...I don't entirely buy this 'Hill's work is invisible' spin) and the flanker passes the ball directly to Matt Moore who runs a full 60m back up the pitch.  The referee is still waving play-on as Moore dives to score ostentatiously under the posts.    The scoreboard is completely invisible by now, it being wet and dark, but from where I am sitting it's  33-20.  A win pretty much in the bag, signed and sealed. It's just a question of whether we can get a bonus try now. Thank you Sarries, and goodbye

Well, not quite.  just 10 minutes later -  why does this always happen? - we find ourselves entrenched on our own line. Without Jason (yellow carded) without Vos (off to make way for the injured Gomez, filling in for Jase) facing a 5m scrum, Sarries ball.  Somehow we 90 them, scrum to Quins, and ball safely back, sigh of relief but Williams clearly doesn't think it's exciting enough for him as he engages in one-to-two combat behind his own line before missing touch for the forty-seventh time that afternoon.

Sarries gather and after a RM-TOB the ball comes back to Chesney on the burst, but Chesney's a spent force in the second half, thin kryptonite veneer seems to have rubbed off entirely and he lumbers uselessly and ponderously into the pursuing pack (watch him Buck, he's a slacker!)

Quins weather the storm and work the ball back up field. A penalty is spurned as Burkey wastes an advantage call (to the fury of a gesticulating Evs) but we work it back up the left side for a succession of long, long RM-TOBs from which the ball comes back at speed to Will.........who knocks it on, directly into the arms of Castaignede, who sets off for  the line, a good 70m away.  Agonisingly it seems that Gollings will catch him but still 20m out Ben attempts a last-gasp tap-tackle  (did he really need to?) and the Frenchman is through. 33-27.

Four minutes left and all to play for, a line out stolen by Quins and a couple of minutes of pressure yield a penalty for handling on the ground which Burkey kicks again and we're finally, finally, finally, completely safe at 36-27.

Until suddenly a ball pops out of a Sarries scrum and is hoofed up more in hope than anything, for Goode to chase.  Fast though the Saracens 10 is, we're not worried in Block AH as  Gollings turns and  has a head-start on him, and sure enough Frodo reaches the bouncing ball just as it crosses the line,  falls on it....seems to ground it, but doesn't control it and it pops up for the pursuing Goode to fall on for an easy try....and two priceless bonus points.  Gollings is inconsolable.  I can't understand why it wasn't a 22. Goode misses the conversion, but two minutes later the crowd invade the pitch to bring the game to slightly premature end. 36-32.

Nathan was awarded man of the match, despite his atrocious touch kicking. Certainly he was part of moment-of-the-match. the pass from Vos that lead to his score, but my notebook was full of little ticks for Fuga, Codling, Satala (who attacked well and finally put in a couple of his trademark tackles, Matt Moore and most of all Jason who's in great form.  However  we'll need to play a lot better than that next week to beat the French in what's a mouth-watering fixture. Can we make it seven in a row?

After the game followed the most entertaining press conference you could hope to attend in a whole season as a petulant Shelford treated a startled press company  - including,  I was pleased to see Chris Jones in person (Hi Chris!) - to a sustained lecture about the failings of Saracens, the ZP Premiership, the attitude of professionals  and - basically - the northern hemisphere in general who are all basically conspiring together to ensure that the men-in-black play beneath their potential.

Shelford safely disposed of, an ebullient Evans took the chair and entertained the assembled company for a good 15 minutes in his own inimitable style - which I think is worth a match-report, supplemental all of it's own tomorrow.