Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun... Harlequins 33–17 Wasps

Despite a chill wind blowing down from the Northern Wastes, springtime came to the Stoop yesterday, and brought with it a joie de vivre that had been lacking from previous home games in 2012.  

A team locked in a battle for survival faced a team committed to winning the Premiership, and very few of us correctly predicted how the game would go. Quins were coming off the back of a good win against Saracens but a bruising loss to Toulon. Wasps had scraped a win against Gloucester, narrowly lost to Biarritz, and were fielding the strongest side that their overburdened treatment table had allowed for some time. Only the most optimistic Wasps fans were predicting a win, but plenty on both sides expected a close game.

What they got was thrilling to watch, but was more like a pre-season warm up game than one with crucial points at stake. It is to Wasps’ huge credit that they came to play rugby, in sharp contrast to the opposition at our recent trip to Newcastle. The game was helped enormously by JP Doyle, who set out his stall early and clearly, but let things flow.

Quins showed their attacking intent and intensity in the early exchanges, but the team lacked the clinical finishing that they’d displayed against Saracens. After an early scare when Daly chipped through for Varndell to chase and Mike Brown had to hack the ball into touch, a high tempo attack with the forwards repeatedly making good yards in traffic won us a penalty. Clegg chose to kick low into a stiff headwind and the ball just scraped over from near the 10m line. His attempted clearance from Wasps restart didn’t fare so well, caught by the wind and driven almost backwards. Wasps recovered it and secured a penalty. Robinson equalised. 3-3.

From the restart Wade, a constant attacking threat whenever he got the ball, broke down the outside but was adjudged to have knocked on. From this point on, Quins looked to have Wasps in trouble at nearly every scrum. Doyle generally declined to give a penalty as long as the ball was coming out; which I think is a good thing. If referees more generally stuck to the principle of scrum-as-restart rather than scrum-as-penalty-machine, we’d have a better game.

The mix of attacking intent and slightly flaky execution continued. Lowe sold an outrageous dummy to release Brown, who found JTH only for him to knock on. A later break nearly produced the game’s first try, but Ugo was adjudged to have a foot in touch. A half break from Rory led to another knock-on. Eventually, Quins had to settle for another penalty. 6-3.

Wasps then exerted their first pressure of the game, but got pinged for holding on. From the lineout, the forwards mauled the game to the Wasps 5m line, and a looping miss pass from Rory found Mike, who put Ugo in for a try on his birthday. A chorus of “Happy Birthday to You” ensued, but Rory missed the touchline conversion. 11-3. More scrappy play from both sides ensued: a Wasps restart went straight out, a messy lineout bobbled from Olly to George to several more inconclusive phases – and then a moment of precision. Ugo made a half-break that drew three defenders, then placed the ball perfectly for George Robson to pick up and trot in past the bewildered Wasps defence. Another touchline conversion into the wind, another miss. 16-3.

Wasps finally managed to string together a passage of play of their own late in the first half, Robinson expertly drawing the defender and popping the ball back inside for Wade to scoot in between Robshaw and JJ. 16-10. And that was how the first half ended.

The second half began with a mixed bag of kicking from Rory. His kick off was adjudged not to have gone 10 (though it looked like it had just made it on replay), and a subsequent cross-field kick enabled Sam Smith to earn a penalty, which he missed. The pack gave Quins some momentum, stealing a lineout and driving to the Wasps line through a series of intense phases before Chris Robshaw rolled through a tackle and placed the ball near the posts. Second movement? Mr Doyle thought not. Rory converted: 23-10.

More champagne moments followed... Sam Smith’s defence rattled Wade sufficiently that he opted to kick rather than take him on mano-e-mano. Robshaw got isolated in the tackle, but Quins collectively rucked Wasps off a ball they should have won. Joe Marler produced a pass from the base of a ruck that would have done Danny Care proud... but all of them ended in a knock on or turnover. Finally, a string of neat passes ended with JTH going over in the corner, bringing the try bonus point and a conversion from Rory. 33-10. Jordan popped up as the final receiver on several plays, something I haven’t seen before. Is Conor preparing a new tactic for the run-in? We shall see.

Both sides made heavy use of their replacements around this point, Wasps gaining a bit of impetus from theirs, Quins losing a bit of shape from theirs. Wade beat three tacklers and released Davies, who was only stopped from scoring by a brilliant cover tackle from Brown. The respite was only temporary, and Wasps used the resulting overlap well to put Filipo over in the corner. Sensing a losing bonus point, Wasps threw themselves into attack for the remainder of the game, but the Quins defence held firm, eventually earning a penalty to end the game while Wasps were camped on the Quins 5m.

It was a fun match to watch, but I think it told us more about Wasps than Quins. Wasps’ injury-ravaged squad never stopped trying, and their back division is dangerous, but they’ve lost too much experience up front. I hope they can hold it together, financially and in playing terms, because in a couple of years’ time this could be a seriously good side, and frankly I would rather have a team playing their brand of rugby in the Premiership than the negative stuff we’ve seen from Newcastle. Good luck to them.

As for Quins, I don’t think we’ve learned anything conclusive. Rob Buchanan continued his development, Sam Smith looks increasingly like the finished article and Ugo seems to have rediscovered his form. Rory Clegg approached the game on his own terms, and it paid off; he didn’t break the line like NEv, but his passing created space for our attackers. Now, he needs to show he can do the same under more pressure.

In terms of overall team performance, the intensity was good but the error count would have been punished by a better side. The pack has looked really quite destructive whenever we’ve had Olly on the pitch, but hasn’t faced full strength opposition. Our backline all showed flashes of brilliance, but it wasn’t a sustained performance. However, looking at the pattern of play and selection over the last few matches, I strongly suspect that Conor is preparing the team very specifically for each match, with the aim of earning a home semi while keeping enough in the tank for the playoffs. Next week’s match takes on a new significance given Leicester’s performance against Saints. Tigers will come to the Stoop as the Premiership’s form team, looking to gain revenge for their defeat in the autumn and assert dominance in the run-up to the playoffs. With Sarries likely to win at Newcastle, they will be targeting a win. How Quins approach it, and how they perform, will give us a far better indication of where we really stand.