A Fine Farewell: Harlequins 49-0 Sale Sharks

By AlanQuin
April 30 2007

So the season back in the Premiership ended with a performance to relish. Revenge is dish best served cold, but when it comes served as hot as this, it is wholly acceptable. Two years ago, on the last day of the season, the one point victory by Sale condemned Harlequins to relegation.

A 49 point whitewash was ample payback.

Vos leads the team out for the last time ©Prof

Sale could only field a depleted side. Beset by injuries and needing to rest some senior players, they fielded a young side which had little or no answer to a Harlequin team playing good rugby and determined to give their departing players a memorable send-off. Harlequins, too, were playing to keep hold of that seventh place which might see them into the Heineken Cup next season if Bath loses the Challenge Cup Final and peace breaks out with the RFU.

A Mehrtens master class ©Prof

A capacity crowd at The Stoop were treated to another Andrew Mehrtens masterclass in fly-half play as he celebrated his 34^th birthday with a full house of scores and 24 points. In his last match in the quartered shirt produced a try, a drop goal, two long penalties and five conversions to leave an indelible memory of his time at Harlequins.

Brown scores ©Prof

From the start Quins were on the attack, turning over the ball as Sale fielded the kick-off and moving the ball wide where a grubber kick through the defence just beat Keogh to touch as the winger looked for the first try. It took only three minutes for Quins to open the scoring as Mehrtens kicked a long penalty. Quins were playing the game mostly in the Sale half of the pitch as the visitors struggled to keep them from advancing. Occasional forays in to Quins territory had little penetration and one such attempt in the eleventh minute saw Mike Brown intercept the pass and run 65 metres to score the first try duly converted by Mehrtens to increase the lead to 10 – 0.

Volley injured ©Prof

Sale had some chances to score. On the quarter-hour Mike Brown slipped and knocked on as caught the ball and gave the visitors an attacking scrum only ten metres from the Quins posts. Sale tried to attack from the scrum but the last pass was knocked on with the try-line beckoning and Quins were able to clear from the ensuing scrum. Another penalty, as Quins sought to attack, saw Mehrtens slot the ball between the posts from about forty-two metres. As the first quarter ended Skinner replaced Volley. Quins then had a penalty on their 10 metre line and Mehrtens found touch in the Sale twenty-two. When the ball came to the fly-half from the lineout he kicked a low drop goal to increase the score to 16 – 0.

Ross dragging a maul along ©Prof

The visitors made a strong attempt to attack and from a penalty conceded at an attempted short line-out the gained a lineout only five metres from the try-line and for some minutes exerted enormous pressure which Quins defended with great skill and passion until the ball was turned over. Despite moving the ball wide and trying to break out, Quins strayed offside and from another attacking lineout on the right, Sale continued to press only a couple of feet from the line until a knock on allowed the pressure to be relieved.

Gommers having a great game ©Prof

As the half drew to a close Gomarsall, having a good game behind a dominant pack, gained a penalty as he caught Foden, the Sale scrum-half as he was slow in clearing a ball from a scrum and was penalised for holding on in the tackle. From a lineout which followed, Quins were back on the attack with good and clever passing until Mehrtens short pass found Mike Brown and the full-back crossed for his second try.

Vos catches safely ©Prof

The conversion from Mehrtens brought the score to 23 – 0 at half-time.

Mel Dean scores ©Prof

Quins opened the second half clearly on the attack with Andre Vos and Nick Easter both carrying well and deep into Sale territory. Almost immediately they had a penalty for offside and a good touch produced an attacking lineout. Continue pressure brought Quins a scrum from which the ball was moved rapidly left to Mel Deane and the centre cut through at speed for a try in his last game for Quins before he moves to Connacht. Mehrtens added the conversion to increase the score to 30 – 0.

Williams break ©Prof

Quins were now playing what was once considered tradition Harlequins rugby. They played with freedom, verve, speed and skill, moving the ball through the hands with backs and forwards both involved and almost indistinguishable. With Mehrtens orchestrating the backs and Vos, Easter and Skinner firmly dominating the forward play, there were many fine pieces of play which caught the eye.

Mehrts scores ©Prof

At least one try went begging as Keogh's inside pass, just short of the try-line went adrift. But even then possession was not lost and the ball was recycled after great pressure on the Sale defence and moved right an this time Mehrtens cut through to score and to convert his own try. The lead after only ten minutes of the second half was 37 – 0.

Vos makes a break ©Prof

As the game moved into the last quarter Monye came on for Mike Brown who had taken a knock. In place of Fuga, James Hayter came on to play his last game for Quins before departing to Llanelli Scarlets and Simon Miall and Steve So’oialo replaced Ollie Kohn and Andy Gomarsall.

Ceri charges through to score ©Prof

Ugo Monye contributed a couple of his trademark, long curving runs but did not manage to cross the line. Quins continued to play with speed despite a valiant attempt for a while by Sale to resist. Then pressure from the Quins forwards took play close to the Sale try-line and a quick pass found Ceri Jones who touched down for his first try which Mehrtens duly converted so that the score was 44 – 0.

Ugo sidesteps the whole Sale back line ©Prof

With six minutes remaining Andre Vos was replaced by Chris Hala’Ufia and the standing ovation which the great Harlequin received as he left the rugby field for the last time was a fitting tribute to all he had contributed to Quins in his five years at the club and evidence of the respect and affection in which he is held among the supporters. The applause required that David Rose, the referee, hold up play till it had subsided. Vos was also named man of the match.

Ugo makes a break ©Prof

Shortly after a fine break from Chris Hala’Ufia took play almost to the posts and set up great forward pressure on the Sale line. Eventually, Ceri Jones burrowed over for his second try. With the only blemish on his afternoon, Mehrtens conversion attempt misses and the final whistle of the season saw Quins run out winners at 49 - 0

The moment Vos is announced as Man of the Match ©Prof

At the press conference afterwards Dean Richards was clearly not displeased at the result. He said the club had no second thoughts about releasing Andrew Mehrtens despite an excellent farewell performance this afternoon. He said: "It was his 34th birthday today. He isn't getting any younger and we haven't had him as often as we would have liked this season. "You saw today what he offers when he plays but we have made our decision." Injuries have restricted Mehrtens to just nine matches this season and Dean Richards feels it is time to move on.

He had targeted a top six finish and to that extent was disappointed, but thought Quins had done reasonably for a first season back in the premiership. He had no plans for any big name signings but was pleased with a number of youngsters coming through from the Academy.

In his pre-match talk in the Debenture Lounge, Andy Friend said that he expected that there would be three more signings announced in the next few weeks. Two he knew about and another was in the pipe line.

An hour after the match Andrew Mehrtens was still near the dressing room tunnel signing autographs and saying farewell to the hoard of supporters who wanted to shake his hand. He told me that he had very much wanted to stay at Quins but understood the decision and was not bitter about it. He had enjoyed his time at Harlequins. It is a great club and has some fine players. They have a great work ethic and they look after each other. He though the supporters fantastic and tremendous. Asked about his future plans, he said that he had none as yet. His chances of playing in this country were about fifteen or twenty per cent. He was likely to end up in France. He was off to play two matches in Japan.

So the season ended with the inevitable mixture of sadness and joy and perhaps a thought or two for Northampton as they took the drop to Division One that they only evaded by that missed penalty kick which took Quins down two years ago.

Harlequins: M Brown (U Monye 59min); T Williams, T Masson, M Deane, S Keogh; A Mehrtens, A Gomarsall (S So’oialo 66min); C Jones, T Fuga (J Hayter 66min), M Ross (R Nebbett 69min), O Kohn (S Miall 66min) J Evans, A Vos (C Hala’ufia 74min), N Easter, P Volley (capt, W Skinner 20min).

Sale: J Laharrague (D Blair ht); S Kuadey, E Seveali’i (M Taylor 69min), L Thomas, O Ripol; R Jones, B Foden (C Leck 74min); E Roberts (B Evans 61min), N Briggs (M Jones 25min), B Evans (B Stewart ht), D Schofield (capt), C Day (S Cox 55min), C Jones (D Tait 46min), J Fernandez-Lobbe, M Hills.

Scorers: Harlequins: Tries: Brown (2), Deane, Mehrtens, Jones (2). Cons: Mehrtens (5) Pens: Mehrtens (2) DG: Mehrtens

Referee: D Rose (RFU)

Attendance: 12,680