RACING DOUBLE: Harlequins 17 - 3 Racing Metro

Harlequins duly completed the double over Racing Metro with a 17 – 3 victory over the star-studded Parisian side, leaving themselves second in their Pool just four points behind their next opponents, Clermont Auvergne. 

Despite the low score line, this was a game controlled by Harlequins who contrived to put pace and invention on the game despite the poor weather conditions, persistent rain making both ball and surface slippery.  Harlequins had control of both scrum and lineout and might have had more than a single try from Charlie Walker and three penalty goals from Nick Evans that gave a 14 – 0  lead at the interval .

Smarting from the substantial defeat in Nantes the previous week, the visitors made fourteen changes to their starting line-up, parading all four of their British Lions as well as other full internationals.  It made little difference as Quins kept play largely in their opponent’s half of the pitch so that the visitors spent more time in defence.

Nick Evans’ astute kicking game caused errors in the defence and kept Racing occupied in defence. He had a try disallowed by the television official who held that Brown had knocked on in the build up to the touchdown.  He might have had one, too, following a characteristic pacy break that was stopped a couple of metres short of the line.  But Quins are not a one man team and Easter, Ward, Wallace and Robshaw carried, won turnovers of possessions and played with conviction and determination.  In the backs Walker buzzed dangerously as did Hopper and Smith.  Brown, despite a couple of handling errors, was imperious under the high ball.  Molenaar again proved that he was an astute signing.

Time had just about run out to the interval with Quins on the attack when Walker beat his opposing winger, handed off another defender and ran clear to score the game’s only try in the corner.  Evans last act in the match was the missed conversion attempt that followed as a shoulder injury meant he was replaced by Botica after the interval.

Racing were a rather different proposition after the interval, seeming to gather some cohesion if attack and Harlequins were occasionally forced to defend in their own half.  Eventually, in the sixtieth minute of the match, Sexton successfully slotted a penalty to give the visitors their only score.  He had missed one previously in the first half.  Botica later responded with three points for Quins to end the scoring,

Racing now were chasing a losing bonus point and in the final few minutes were attacking close to the Harlequins’ line.  With staunch, committed and disciplined defence they were resisted successfully until the final whistle.

Harlequins: Brown; Walker, Hopper, Molenaar, Smith; Evans (Botica ht), Care (Dickson 77); Marler (Lambert 71), Ward, Collier (Doran-Jones 49), Matthews (Kennedy 54), Robson (Trayfoot 77), Wallace, Robshaw (capt), Easter

Racing Métro Hernandes; Planté, Chavancy, Roberts, Vakatawa (Fall 74); Sexton (Wisniewski 63) Phillips (Machenaud 62); Khinchagishvili (Arous 52), Lacombe, Tonga'uiha, Metz, Ghezal (Kruger 62), Lydiate (Dulcalcon 61), Battut (capt), Gerondeau.

Referee: A Rolland (Ire). Attendance 11,502