Cold sting at the Causeway

By Will Warner
February 23 2004

A desperately close game that must have kept Sky viewers on the edge of their seats was ultimately settled not by a moment of skill but by a moment of madness. Quins had looked reasonable value for their 14 -3 lead and at that time Wasps didn’t look likely to pierce a well organised Quins’ defence.

But with thirty three minutes gone Karl Rudzki’s frustration at a ruck saw him round the side, if not through it as well! Referee Chris White had little option than to give him a ten minute rest. In the period Quins were a man short Wasps scored twelve unanswered points. It would have been fourteen if Mark van Gisbergen’s conversion attempt of George Skivington’s try hadn’t rattled the wood work.

The chilly evening at the Causeway Stadium had started so well as Quins’ got the better in a very scrappy and shapeless opening period. Quins backs’ looked the sharper but constantly kicked the ball away. Wasps were regularly running the ball back and quickly having their possession turned over.

Quins’ first try was a curious affair as the Wasps defence lined up four - two. Four on the open side and two on the blind. Quins were split three - three and the moment the zippy Simon Keogh rounded the base of the scrum and straightened the line, the try was always on. Ugo Monye ran in from forty metres and Andy Dunne provided the conversion to make it 0 – 7. After fifteen minutes Mark van Gisbergen reduced the deficit with a close range penalty, 3 -7.

Shortly afterwards George Harder crashed through some weak tackles and set up Pat Sanderson who just got to the line despite some desperate defending. Again Dunne converted to make it 3 -14 to Quins.

Quins had a couple of other chances to extend the lead, Tani appeared on the left, in front of the catchily named “The Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College Stand” but was unable to find the pass to put Ugo away again and a nicely worked move saw Ugo just run out of space wide on the left.

After Trevor Leota’s touchdown had been ruled out by the TV official, it appeared he lost control of the ball, Skivington’s lanky frame got to the try line in spite of some close attention from Tani. The try was given but the conversion was missed, 8 -14. Very late in the first half and with Quins still playing with fourteen a well worked move from Wasps created an overlap on the right where van Gisbergen strolled through to score. He converted his own try to leave Wasps ahead at half time 15 – 14.

Quins promptly gained the lead back moments into the second half after an untidy build up saw Ugo create some space for Pat Sanderson to score his second try of the evening right in the corner. From the touch line Dunne converted to put Quins in front 15 – 21.

The score stayed that way for forty minutes. Wasps had by far the better of the second half and Quins, deprived of the ball for much of the time, tried to defend a narrow lead. Wasps bravely gambled on kicking penalties to the corners rather than going for the points. Well into stoppage time and with Quins again down to fourteen men after replacement Laurent Gomez had been binned, Ayoola Erinle’s angled run to the corner saw him hold off three weak attempts at tackles to score. The pressure was on van Gisbergen, but his touchline conversion sailed through the posts to put Wasps in front 22 – 21. There was no time for a restart. That was that!

Neither side had played particularly well. Quins had made twice as many tackles as Wasps, they also missed an awful lot of them in the closing stages of the match. This reflected the possession in the match. Mark Evans had tried to inject some fresh steel into the pack by making five changes with twenty minutes left. Ultimately it didn’t work, although it did show how far Quins have come if they have such fine players on the bench. It was also good to see Simon Miall back after such a long absence through injury.

If I had to choose my man of the match it would either be Mark van Gisbergen, who started a little scratchily but got better as the game wore on, or Peter Richards, playing out of position who gave a feisty display at ten.

Ultimately we didn’t exert enough control on the game and whether this was down to a faulty game plan or execution of it, well who’s to say? But we did concede three tries when down to fourteen men.

A very cold and disappointing end to the evening in front of a noisy group of away supporters.