Hard-fought victory seals Ams' day of celebration

By Hillary Carr
October 26 2005

Harlequin Amateurs had a memorable day and made a significant presence to proceedings at Twickenham Stoop last Saturday. At half time during the NEC Quins game against Exeter Chiefs, the Amateurs were presented a shield by Middlesex RFU Committee to mark their crowning as champions...

of Herts & Middlesex Division 2 South for the 2004/5 season.

To close proceedings at The Stoop the Amateurs XV took on Old Millhillians with three wins to their credit. With just one league win to date the Amateurs were intent on matching their seniors’ performance and reversing the recent run of losses.

The occasion may have overawed some of the players, appearing at the Stoop for the first time. The two sides were matched for pace and skill, both defences holding fast throughout the first half. Both the referee and the wide pitch contributed to an expansive and flowing game that saw opportunities go awry through handling errors turnover of the ball and OMs being penalised. What was most evident in a scoreless first half was that the Amateurs pack was in the ascendancy, driving the OM’s backwards in the set pieces and spoiling their ball in the line-out.

In the second half, the Amateurs back line stepped up a gear. They pressurised the OM’s defence into errors and with the forwards rampant in the loose play taking the ball up two or three phases before freeing the backs with skipper Phil Thompson leading as ever by example. OM’s discipline crumbled soon after leading to a sin-bin for one of their forwards. In the ensuing ten minutes Quins took advantage of the numerical superiority to score eight quick points. Moving the ball to the wings with some well worked set patterns Adam Wallace finally rounded his opposite number to score in the left hand corner, and Donald Baines followed with the penalty just left of the posts within the OM twenty-two.

As the second half wore on, Quins heaped the pressure on their opposition as superior skill and fitness told. The Amateurs second try followed heavy pressure down the left from the forwards. Jim Dewar went on a rampaging run, reminiscent of Andy Ripley in his heyday for England. He slipped the ball to the following support from Phil Ah-Sun who released Adam Wallace down the narrow side to round and score near the posts. Baines duly added the two points to stretch the lead to fifteen whilst Ben Fretwell came on to replace Greg Birbeck.

The third try to secure the win for Quins followed an excellent drive from the forwards. Jon Fairweather, on as replacement for Andy Lawrence at loose head took the ball on from a ruck, slipped it to Malcolm Wall and in the ensuing melee on the OM line, the ball was popped up to Phil Ah-Sun to touch down to round off a memorable victory to add to the day’s celebrations.

Harlequin Amateurs: 1. Lawrence 2. Glanville 3. Rose 4. Dewar 5. 6. Knowles 7. Schneider 8. Thompson (c) 9. Wigginton 10. Terrey 11. Wallace 12. Hurst 13. Baines 14. Birbeck 15. Ah-Sun 16. Fairweather 17. Fretwell 18. Jermy

Quins scorers: Tries: Wallace (2), Ah-Sun Conversions: Baines (2) Penalty: Baines