Sale 21-16 Harlequins - One Point is Cold Comfort to Quins

Not for the first time in recent years, Quins left Edgeley Park losers, after playing in a game that they could and should have won. A losing bonus point was scant reward, after dominating much of the contest.

Once again, the team were hit by injuries to three projected starters within 36 hours of the kick-off. Tiesi (training accident), Andress (back) and Mordt (flu) all had to pull out, while both Strettle and Brown took to the field feeling less than 100%.

Even a cursory glance at the league table before kick off would have demonstrated the importance of this clash. Quins, in 6^th place, were only 10 points above the bottom team. At the same time 5^th placed Wasps, with a game in hand, were 7 points ahead of their London rivals.

Despite the commitment of all parties, the game was in doubt until an hour before kick off. The problem was the five metres in from touch on the TV gantry side of the pitch, which froze when the blowers and coverings were removed. As events proved, the decision to play the game was clearly justified.

Those Quins fans watching the first half on TV will have seen their team, led by their elegant and impressive Kiwi ten, dominate both territory and possession. However, with only one minute to half time the scoreboard showed only two penalties for both teams. Unforced errors were a key reason for the tied score.

Then disaster struck. A badly defended ruck inside the Sale 22 provided the opportunity for Briggs to gather the ball and gain 50 metres before off-loading to Gaskell, who outpaced the Quins defence to score in the corner. Hodgson added an impressive conversion which ended the half and Quins trudged off the field trailing by 13-6.

Top scrumaging by tight head Mark Lambert earned his team two penalties at the start of the second half. One landed just short in the freezing conditions – it would have been good in April! – the other split the uprights and reduced the arrears to four points.

Hodgson restored the 7 point advantage after another infringement and Sale looked to have secured the game when scrum half Dwayne Peel made a break which Ben Cohen finished by bulldozing his way over the line. Although Hodgson missed the afters the score was 21-9.

Quins fought back. A superb catch and run by substitute Monye set up Johnson who took Quins close, before Guest forced his way over from the recycled ball. Clegg knocked over the conversion and it was game on.

The visitors dominated the rest of the game, particularly the last five minutes. Having been awarded a kickable penalty with four minutes to go, Skinner made a brave decision and elected to go for a scrum. From the resulting possession Quins battered the home line through the forwards, but Sale held – just.

Following a final scrum as time expired, the ball was swept wide to Monye and only a superb tackle from Hodgson denied the Lions winger a try in the corner. One foot in touch and game over.

It was a brave performance in many ways, but a frustrating one too. Afterwards, John Kingston admitted there had been a lot of soul searching after last week’s game against Wasps. Regarding this game he thought that: “The attitude and effort was excellent. Yes, we turned the ball over a bit too much in the first half when we were dominant. Yes, their tries came from nothing but after that we knuckled down and I thought Harlequins were the best side on the night and should have won the game.”  

Leeds seem to be really ‘giving it a go’. If they win this week against Bath, Quins will be dragged into the fringes of the relegation battle when the sides meet next weekend.

This season was never going to be easy, was it?

Sale:
15 Nick Macleod, 14 Mark Cueto, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Jonny Kennedy, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Dwayne Peel, 1 Gavin Kerr, 2 Neil Briggs, 3 Eifion Roberts, 4 Dean Schofield (Capt.), 5 James Gaskell, 6 Carl Fearns, 7 David Seymour, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole
Replacements: 16 Mahonri Schwalger (for Briggs 52 mins), 17 Rob O’Donnell (for Kerr 41 mins), 18 Martin Halsall (for O’Donnell 50 minutes), 19 Chris Jones, 20 Kristian Ormsby, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Chris Bell, 23 David Doherty

Harlequins:
15 Mike Brown, 14 David Strettle, 13 George Lowe, 12 Tosh Masson, 11 Tom Williams, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 1 Aston Croall, 2 Matt Cairns, 3 Mark Lambert, 4 James Percival, 5 George Robson, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 Will Skinner (Capt.), 8 Nick Easter
Replacements: 16 Tani Fuga (for Cairns 57 mins), 17 Ceri Jones (for Croall 57 mins), 18 James Johnson (for Lambert 57 mins), 19 Lewis Stevenson (for Percival 72 mins), 20 Tom Guest (for Robshaw 46 mins), 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Rory Clegg (for Evans 57 mins), 23 Ugo Monye (for Strettle 50 mins)

Attendance: 8,172