DEFEAT AT KINGSHOLM: Gloucester 17 - 15 Harlequins
By Alanquin
March 30 2013
After a pulsating, entertaining game of rugby, unfortunately marred by some poor and inconsistent refereeing, Harlequins slipped to a second successive defeat to leave any chance of a home semi-final looking unlikely. Indeed, further loss could remove Quins from the play-offs altogether.
Both sides started the game with pace, Gloucester trying to outplay Harlequins’ usual high speed approach, keeping ball in hand and looking to blast through the defensive line. It took full five minutes for Harlequins to have more than a few seconds of possession. With the ball in hand a concerted attack saw Lowe take play to within ten metres of the Gloucester line before he was stopped and lost the ball in the tackle. An early engagement at the scrum gave Quins the free kick and taken quickly provided a platform for further attack. The ball came to Buchanan five metres out and he had the strength to force his way over for the try. Evans’ conversion attempt from the touchline hit the post and rebounded.
Gloucester resumed pressing and attempted to increase the pace of their attack. A fine try-saving tackle by Chisholm on May prevented a certain score and the Harlequins defence was heroic as the waves of attacks continued. Eventually, a penalty for not rolling away at a breakdown allowed Burns to kick successfully and reduce the arrears after twenty minutes.
Then a couple of minutes later as Quins looked for a gap, a delicate chip by Nick Evans over the advancing Gloucester line was chased and caught by Sam Smith just outside the twenty-two continuing on unhindered to touch down between the posts. Evans added the simple conversion and Quins led 3 – 12 after twenty-four minutes.
For the remainder of the half both sides tried to break through determined defences to no avail. There was much honest endeavour and occasional invention and several narrow escapes on both sides. Burns missed with a penalty kick and there was no further score before the interval,
The second half started with Quins on the attack and with a fine break by Mike Brown. But the full back’s offload was intercepted and from that Gloucester were away and running. Sharples made ground along the right wing and was stopped only a few metres short of the line ut the ball was recycled and moved rapidly left where Johnny May was in ample space close to the line. Burns duly added the extras and the Quins lead was cut to two points three minutes into the second half.
Play continued at the same furious pace, both sides keeping the ball in hand and only kicking as a last resort. Defences were at full stretch and while loss of possession in the tackle was frequent, stoppages were less so. Fifteen minutes into the second half, a penalty inside the Gloucester twenty-two was successfully kicked by Evans to expand the lead to 10 – 15. Almost immediately Burns had the chance to do the same but the kick drifted wide.
Then another Gloucester attack and a penalty produced a five metre lineout and in the phases that followed Joe Gray was shown a yellow card. With the pack reduced to seven, Gloucester opted for the scrum and when the scrum collapsed and they had another penalty they repeated the option. This time the ball came out and under immense pressure it was inevitable that the try would follow and Akapusi Qera duly dived over by the posts. The simple conversion left Gloucester leading 17 – 15 with ten minutes remaining.
For the last ten minutes Harlequins threw everything they could at their opponents, but were unable to fashion a scoring chance and while in the normal course of events they might have had a succession of penalties at the breakdowns, Mr Doyle’s whistle remained strangely silent. Has there been a game of so few penalties?
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At half time I said to the Glaws fans around me that I couldn't understand why their players were cutting inside with ball in hand rather than sticking to the touchline. Sadly, I think the players overheard me...
I was at the other end of the pitch from Joe's yellow card, but I couldn't see too much to fault in Mr Doyle's refereeing of the breakdown at the Glaws end. Quins undid their good work with a few too many hasty offloads, I think.
If there is an external culprit it's Sky, or whoever arranged for us to play two tough away matches with only 5 days between them - I'm not aware of any other team that's had to do that this season, and it was clear by the end of the match that the Quins players were dead on their feet. He who pays the piper calls the tune - but that should not extend to decisions that have a competitive impact.