SCOTTISH HORS D'OUVRE: Harlequins 19 - 16 Glasgow Warriors

Harlequins third pre-season friendly, against Glasgow Warriors, ended in a narrow victory by 19 – 16.  It was rather the manner of the victory than the result that offered encouragement for the coming season as Quins manufactured three tries to one and survived a very physical encounter.

It took only four minutes for the opening score as Quins created an effective catch and drive from a five-metre lineout and drove over for Nick Easter to touch down and Nick Evans to add the extras.

The first scrum produced a penalty for Quins and in the early exchanges their forwards had the edge at the set piece, although that dominance diminished as the match wore on and replacements changed the pack materially.

A long kick deep into Glasgow’s half was chased by both sides but both overran the ball, defeated by the vagaries of the bounce.  It was left in space for Harlequins to pick up and move rapidly to their left wing for Ugo Monye to score in the corner.  The conversion attempt failed. Quins led 12 – 0 after as many minutes. Quins appeared to have scored a third try a few minutes later when Charlie Walker crossed in the opposite corner, but the score was disallowed for obstruction in the build-up.   

Fully twenty-five minutes elapsed before the visitors opened their account with a penalty awarded a few metres in front of the posts.  They increased their score when their first real line-break put their left wing, McGuigan, into the corner for a try that Wight converted and narrowed the score to 12 -10. There were no further scores before the interval.

The second half saw the entry of replacements so that by the end of the half Harlequins had used the whole bench of thirteen and the team that fiished the match was virtually a different one to the starting fifteen. That is, however, the nature of pre-season friendlies.

About eight minutes had elapsed when Glasgow opted to kick at goal from a penalty in Quins’ half of the pitch, but the kick hit the upright and rebounded into play and Quins knocked on to give their opponents the benefit of an attacking scrum close in front of the posts. In the scrum that followed Quins were eventually successful in turning over possession and clearing the danger.

Two further successful penalty kicks took Glasgow into a four point lead and Harlequins appeared to materially increase the speed of their play.  Fine kicking for touch by Botica, from a penalty, produced a five-metre attacking lineout.  The catch and drive was stoutly resisted but the ball was moved across the field and eventually Hopper broke through to score..  Botica converted.

Both sides attempted to create further scoring chances but failed and an entertaining encounter ended.