Report: Harlequins 39-17 Aviron Bayonnais

Another efficient and effective performance took Harlequins to a home quarter-final in the Amlin Cup as they disposed of Aviron Bayonnais by 39 – 17, running in five tries to one in the process.

The French were clearly up for the battle, moving the ball wide, throwing themselves into breakdowns and seeking to impose a fast physical game and the Quins defence had to work hard.  A penalty, kicked by Cedric Garcia, opened the scoring.  A poor restart kick which failed to go ten metres gave the visitors a scrum on the centre spot but Quins won the ball against the head.  Nick Easter broke from the base of the scrum and there was the always spectacular sight of Nick Evans at pace scoring between the posts. He duly added the extras and Quins had regained the lead.

Two more penalty chances for each side saw Garcia kick both while Evans was only successful with one. Bayonne now began to exert pressure in attack and from a lineout close to the Quins line a series of rucks on the Quins’ line saw Filipo driven over for a try. The conversion attempt failed but the French led 10 – 14 after twenty minutes.

Evans kicked another penalty to reduce the arrears to a single point and both teams spent the rest of the half in testing each other’s defences and with no real penetration as both defences held firm. At the interval the French led 13 – 14.

|The second half opened with a bang as Quins turned over possession from the restart and a quick passing move from Care to Casson to Lowe saw the latter carve through the defence to score under the posts in the first minute. Evans kicked the extras and Quins led 20 – 14 although a penalty a couple of minutes later allowed Garcia to reduce the lead.

The French now attacked powerfully, but a penalty to Quins for offside produced a lineout near the French twenty-two.  With quick ball off the top, the three-quarters attacked again and once again Lowe sliced through for his second try.  Evans kicked the simple conversion.

In the next few minutes the French began bringing on replacements, six in all, in an attempt to liven their pack with fresh legs. Quins, too, replaced Brooker and Lambert with Gray and Andress.  The French attacks were becoming more desperate and the Harlequins defence more resolute.   A yellow card for Joe Marler reduced Quins to fourteen men and encouraged even more French attacks.  Quins held firm.

Then with eight minutes remaining another searing break by Evans and an excellent pass left put Ugo Monye into the corner for the bonus point try.  Despite the missed conversion that left the score at 32 – 17 there was no way back for the French.

To add salt to the wound, with the final attack of the match, Sam Smith strolled in for another try.  The conversion signalled the final whistle as Quins won by 39 – 17.

Harlequins: T Williams (R Clegg 73); S Smith, G Lowe (G Camacho 73), T Casson, U Monye; N Evans, D Care (K Dickson 62); J Marler (R Buchanan 75), C Brooker (J Gray 50), M Lambert (J Andress 50), O Kohn (T Vallejos 58) (M Fa’asavalu 73), G Robson, C Robshaw (captain), W Skinner (Buchanan 65-69), N Easter.
Bayonne: P Elhorga (captain) (J Audy 40); Y Huget, T Lacroix, S Gerber, J Pietersen; S Fauque (G Ziegler 65), C Garcia (B Boyet 48); P Lafond (T Lea’aetoa 50), D Roumieu ( F Da Ros 48), C Baiocco (W Desmaison 48), R Filipo, A Boutaty (G Bernard 50), D Haare (T Flavell 53), R Martin, J Puricelli.
Referee:  J Jones (Swansea)
Attendance: 9,590