Quins lose a thriller - Quins 27 Natal 29

Happy
By kwin
January 29 2004

Anyone harbouring any doubts about whether this friendly fixture still had legs coming in its third year, would have had them well and truly dispelled by a tremendously exciting, fiercely-contested game on Tuesday night.

A near sell-out crowd at a cold but noisy Stoop were vastly entertained by eighty minutes of fast paced, aggressive and adventurous rugby from both teams. In the end it was the Sharks that snatched it, with an 84th minute penalty, easily stroked home by Gregor Townsend, only minutes after the young Quins team seemed to have grabbed victory, taking the lead for the first time in the game, with a sweet Andy Dunne drop goal.  The disappointment of the crowd, and the players was palpable, Quins had easily done enough to merit a first win in the closest of the three game series.

In the programme notes Mark Evans had spelt out clearly the value he saw in the game - a chance for youngster to break through. This game last season saw breakthrough performances from Simon Miall and Andy Reay. Would any of the young players tonight seize the opportunity to shine in front of a packed house?  Step forward Tom Williams, an assured a full back as you'll see on a Rugby pitch.  Tom's penetrating, good angled attacks, sensible decisions and two try-saving tackles amounted to fine all-round performance that will have surprised no reader of Alanquin's regular reports from the Reserves.

 

For the first fifteen minutes of the game, though Natal were indisputably on top. Perhaps it was the youth, or new mixture of the team, or perhaps they were carried away by the carnival atmosphere, but I felt we got suckered into playing the game at the quick basketball tempo of Super12 that suited the Sharks.  However it certainly had me on the edge of the seat as the ball was hurled from player to player, Townsend and his massive (compared to ours) centres created sudden gaps, and Dunne raced back to put in a last-ditch tackle. Even when we kicked long and cleared our lines, a quick throw in caught us napping and, with errors from both sides, the game seemed to be mainly counter-attack.

Barquin Mad

Five minutes in, Natal found a gap and a three-on-one overlap. A rolling maul, and some clever crossing (blithely ignored by the ref) piled on the pressure, and five minutes later they were over again. 0-12 and I wrote 'score at will' in my notebook, and perhaps Vossy was similarly alarmed as the team came out fighting after the huddle under the posts.

Things improved, and from the 15 minute mark Quins staged a fantastic spell of flowing, exciting frantic rugby, launching  attack after attack that came to naught.  A penalty kick under the posts was spurned, but the RMTOB from the lineout was halted, and Dunne knocked tantalisingly forward. A second penalty went the same way but Natal turned over the maul, and cleared, but time it was Williams' turn to fumble as a botched clearance kick fell directly to him, in acres of space. Dunne kicked ahead but lost the chase to the line, Moore took his turn with knock on, and as Quins drove a maul a long, long 20m, Natal were forced to retreat behind the offside line for only about the second time in the game...in order to join it, and to pull it down.

But then at the half hour mark, disaster as from a bit of bit of chaos in mid field, the canny Natal  players obstructed, crossed and bullied their way over to cross the try-line again. 0-19 down, and shortly might have been 0-26 had it not been for a crunching tackle from Williams.

During a pause for an injury I wrote in my notebook - plusses for  Vos and Davison and double plus for Hayter, who was popping up everywhere, his slightly clumsy running style belying his strength.  I felt like a real rugby guru, when the very next minute Harter went over for the try that broke our duck (5-19 at half time) and then went over again just three minutes into the second half: 12-19 and we were right in it when Ace came on to cheers from the crowd.

If the first half was exciting, the second was equally so, and now we seemed to be playing at our own - still very fast - tempo. Ace and Karl were dominating the loose play and we weren't short of ball. A fine, multi-passed attack with Williams making masses of ground took us over the line, only to be called back for a forward pass [It was almost in front of me, and forward it was, Evs :-( ] and confusion reigned for a moment as two South African streakers  - one rather forlornly wearing his underpants - made an quick appearance. Whichever of the two you looked at, it was evidently colder than you'd think out there on the pitch.

A further Quins attack was illegally halted by Natal killing the ball and a sin-bin resulted, but the next ten minutes were perhaps the point that turned the game back in Sharks' favour as we failed to take advantage of the extra man and, worse, when Dunne lost the ball in a tackle, Natal picked up smartly and went over for a try against the run of play, so that Matt Moore - who was playing a blinder by now - broke through tackle after tackle for the best individual try of the evening, it only left us just in touch at 19-26.

Then a long, long touch kick from Willis brought us within 10m of the Natal line, and from that platform a swftly moved ball and a cross kick to the corner found Jewell racing in to collect and score. The Touch Judge was perfectly positioned but fortunately for Quins became overcome with the excitement of it all, imagined he was the referee and awarded the try, failing to notice the foot in touch.  24-26. Dunnes drop gave Quins the lead and a bad tempered crowd slightly marred the occasion by booing the Sharks as they elected to kick over their match-winning penalty. Well really!  Who would have made any other decision?

 

So, a smashing game, and every reason to expect a repeat fixture next year. After the game Evans wasn't pleased with the refereeing, and outburst that he probably regrets: the standard was poor, but errors went both ways and  I'm not really sure that this alone lost us the game. We could equally well look at missed kicks, dropped passes, and loss of control in the first 15 minutes  Could easily have won it....perhaps next year we will, especially if we turn in a performance as sparkling as this again.

After last weeks reserves game, Evs was reported as sleeping more easily, after his selection decisions got easy, but this week I fear his insomnia might return. If Duffy ever hits another bad patch, Williams be must knocking loudly at his door. Matt Moore managed to find the ball a lot more often than Ugo had managed on Tuesday, and he showed that electrifying pace isn't the only way to cross the line. In the half backs Willis has regained his form, and Dunne was solid, and in the forwards Hayter and Horstmann impressed, while Rudzki, Tiatia and Vos dominated like the experienced hands they all now are.  Roll on Brive, roll on Sarries.