Harlequins 20-21 Newcastle Falcons

Harlequins contrived to lose the LV= Cup semi-final to an unconverted try in the last seconds of the game which saw Newcastle home by a single point 20 – 21. Yet again Harlequins failed to take and finish their chances and were unable to close out a game that was all but won eight minutes before the end.

Harlequins had the best of possible starts as Monye ran for and caught the kick off deep in the visitors’ twenty-two.  A further ruck nearer the line and there was Karl Dickson to burrow over for a try which Clegg converted.  Two minutes had not yet elapsed.  Quins continued to dominate the play and in the next five minutes each side added three points for a penalty making the score 10 – 3.

Quins continued to attack close to the Falcons’ line, but time and again those attacks ended either with a penalty to Newcastle or in the ball being knocked on or lost and the pressure relieved.  Then a yellow card for a Falcons lock reduced them to fourteen men and allowed Clegg another successful penalty kick to increase the lead.

Opportunities continued to be made and lost.  Lowe was stopped on the line.  A poor final pass to Monye’s ankles caused the winger to knock on with the line a metre away.  And then a penalty at a scrum allowed Gopperth to reduce the lead at half-time to 13 – 6.

The second half continued with further missed chances until the game was turned on its head by a ball which ran loose behind an attacking ruck. It seemed to do so from what appeared suspiciously like a Newcastle knock on.  Play was allowed to continue and Gopperth swooped to run to the line for a try which he also converted.   With half an hour remaining the scores were level and ten minutes later Newcastle took the lead with another Gopperth penalty.

Quins went on the attack from the restart, gaining field position from the knock on by Falcons. Keeping the ball through numerous phases Quins increase the pressure on the defence until the ball came right, through quick hands, and Mike Brown crossed for a try in the corner. An excellent conversion from the touch line gave Quins a four point lead with eight minutes remaining.

For five minutes of the remaining time Quins kept possession and then conceded a penalty for not rolling away, although the player was at the bottom of a pile of Newcastle bodies.  From then on Quins could not recover possession of the ball and Newcastle did exactly as Quins had done in scoring their try, eventually creating a gap for the try and victory.