Harlequins 16-14 Worcester Warriors
By JTD
February 19 2012
Games against Worcester have always meant a little more to me since they bullied us off the park in that bleak 2004/5 season. As our game was a late kick off, we already knew that things had really got interesting at the bottom of the Aviva Premiership with Newcastle beating London Irish and Wasps losing at home to Exeter. Worcester could breath a little easier going into this fixture because of the seemingly 2 horse race for the dreaded drop into The Championship. The only surprise being that one of the horses is called London Wasps!
The weather I feared would put paid to an expansive ‘Quins Style’ game and with the stats warning us of Worcester’s defensive strengths I didn’t go into this match with much confidence for a try bonus and with a late line up change for Quins with Tom Guest being ill and Quins nemesis Craig Gillies starting for Worcester the game got under way.
I’ve been trying to find the words to describe the first 5 minutes. It seemed to be a carbon copy of last week with Quins failing to switch on to ‘match time’ and conceding points very early on. A scrum on the 22 turned into a penalty for quins, NEv kicks for touch but the resulting line out wasn’t straight, scrum to Wuss and JJ gives away the pen. Wuss win the line out and after the conditions being sticky not helping the handling and the game taking shape as one for the forwards to dominate, all of a sudden Marcel Garvey makes a good break through the Quins line, a couple of offloads later and Olly Kohn makes a great tackle but is pinged for not rolling away…harsh! The kick is good and its 0-3 to Wuss.
Almost immediately after the re-start its 0-8 as Banjamin makes a teriffic break down the wing and after a great tackle on him by George Lowe, gets up and makes it over the line in the far corner. Confirmed by the TMO but conversion. missed 8 minutes gone…COME ON QUINS!!!
Quins are looking good at the breakdown and win a penalty which is kicked for touch. Easter collects the line out and the war on the floor continues. Good pressure from Quins and the ball is thrown out wide. Mike Brown thinks he’s scored and again it goes upstairs. Try not given.
Some lovely play by Quins now despite the mud. Good hands and quick feet. Mr Rose seems to be getting annoyed at our line out. To be fair, both sides are trying to play quick and expansive rugby and making for an entertaining game. Worcester are defending well. Both sets of forwards are now looking like the famous Fran Cotton photo, head to toe in mud. The war of attrition continues and then Garvey makes a wonderful break through the middle of the park, jinking left and right and looking threatening. Some big hits coming in and Tom Williams is on the wrong end of one from Benjamin. Harlequins try and build some pressure with a rolling maul and win a penalty which NEv duly converts and we are on the scoreboard. 3-8 two minutes into the 2nd quarter. After some good offloading after the re-start the ball comes to Easter who makes a storming run down the wing channel. Marcel Garvey attempts to tackle the run away train and Easter runs straight through him. Garvey looks to be in trouble and the ball is thrown out wide but we knock on. Attention is now on the stricken Worcester player who looks down and out. After some time he leaves the field on a stretcher to applause from the crowd. We hope it isn’t too serious and he makes a quick recovery.
15 minutes left and it must be difficult to get warm an your game head on after a long time on the pitch waiting. Good play by quins trying to break a resistant Worcester defence and looking to score. Unfortunately NEv runs into Luke Wallace and is given accidental offside. NOW is the time for a thing of beauty. A fantastic rolling maul is driven 25 metres and onto the tryline and brought down so a penalty try is awarded by Mr Rose and we are in the lead, NEv converts and the Worcester hooker gets 10 minutes in the bin for collapsing the maul. 10-8 to Quins with 11 minutes to go until half time. To their credit, Worcester keep up the pressure and are playing with intent. We concede another penalty but it is missed and we can breath again. This game isn’t easy by a long way!
Olly Kohn is making some good hits and the aggression at the breakdown is good from both teams with intense ruck and counter ruck, in fact the rugby being played is very good in the boggy conditions. Worcester’s hooker comes back on for the last minute or so and the war of attrition breaks for half time. Work to be done in the 2nd half but a battle and a half so far.
2nd Half
A good take from Ugo starts the 2nd half and we win a scrum and eventually a penalty which NEv kicks and the dominant start is rewarded 3 mins in. 13-8 to Quins. Worcester completely mess up a line out but it comes to nothing as we nock on and concede a penalty at the resulting scrum. We concede another one very soon after for foul play by Olly Kohn who has played very well so far. It is kicked and the score is now 13-11. Nip and tuck time. The kick off doesn’t go 10 and it looks like a worrying time for Quins who are having to defend in numbers. Worcester are pressing well well but the ball comes loose and we secure it and kick to clear our lines. It is kicked back to Mike Brown who puts in a great kick right to the Wuss 22. After the line out Worcester concede a penalty which NEv kicks to touch. We win the line out and a driving maul is set up..Can we do it again? Ruck formed and the ball is thrown out wide. Good pressure from Quins and the Wuss defence is showing signs of tiredness. We are knocking at the door but knock on at a vital moment just before the tryline. Danny Care is replaced by Karl Dickson with 25 mins to go. Both side seem to be cancelling eachother out as this half goes on but still playing well in the conditions but legs are starting to slow down as this really is a battle as I’ve mentioned before. Mike Brown makes a really good break but Worcester defend well.
Worcester make some replacements and the bright clean shirts are very conspicuous on the pitch. A penalty is won by us at the scrum. NEv goes for the posts and scores..much to the annoyance of the young Wuss fan a couple of rows behind me who has been shouting WARRIORS!! Whenever NEv kicks. Unlucky son! 16-11 as we moved into the final quarter. The pitch isn’t looking at it’s best now it has to be said, and the players are wearing quite a lot of it! 2 tired sets of players out there and the game is getting scrappy. Scrum to Worcester and JJ gives away another penalty which is scored by Danny Gray. 16-14 now with 13mins left. Keep it tight now Quins. A real forwards game now and we win a penalty at the scrum. NEv goes for the posts and MISSES! Nervy times now and we could’ve done with the 5 point lead going into the last 10mins. Worcester can sense a sniff of an opportunity to win this game and we have to be on our game to see this one out. More fresh legs for Worcester. A very good passage of play by the visitors but it ends with them crossing and giving away a penalty which is kicked to touch. Tom Casson is replaced by Ross Chisholm. Line out on the 22 with 5 mins to play. COME ON QUINS!!! We win a penalty and a chance to close out the game. NEv kicks and the ball hits the post and bounces out but the ball is picked up by Quins but knocked on. Scrum Warriors with just over a minute to go. Cleared long and it looks like we’ve done enough. We mess up the lineout though and I’m holding my breath! A messy scrum and it is reset with the clock dead. Scrum won and the ball is shipped to Mike Brown who boots it out of the stadium. Another win. It was never going to be a 5 pointer but it was 4 points well won and a losing bonus well won by Worcester.
It wasn’t the prettiest of games but it wasn’t ugly either. Both sides attempting to play rugby in tough conditions. Well done Quins!!!
Harlequins. M Brown; T Williams, G Lowe, T Casson (R Chisholm 75), U Monye; N Evans, D Care (K Dickson 55); J Marler, C Brooker, J Johnston, O Kohn, G Robson (captain), L Wallace, W Skinner, N Easter.
Worcester. C Pennell; M Garvey (E Claassens 25), A Grove (R Fatiaki 72), D Rasmussen, M Benjamin; D Gray, S Perry (captain) (J Arr 58); M Mullan (G Porter 69), E Shervington (A Lutui 56), T Taumoepeau (O Tomaszyczyk 69), J Percival, C Gillies (B Gulliver 72), S Betty (A Lutui 30-40), J Abbott (M Kvesic 58), B Cowan.
Referee: Mr D Rose (Plymouth)
Attendance: 12, 416
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Unlike London Irish , we seemed to be outplayed at the restarts and gave away field position . Close games often come down to this . Because of the conditions , it was difficult to build real pressure but ,once again , it was a real team effort .
I assume the kids come with some kind of supervision? Surely the parents/coaches should be instilling the respect that is supossed to be enjoyed through out rugby?
As for the game, we made far too many unforced errors but at least we won. Winning ugly on occasion is required for any team to win the league.
Rant over
And can I put Tom Williams forward as "Man of the last two matches (taking the two together as an average)". Thanks Tom - your commitment to the cause is coming over loud and clear.
Great performances from easter again, lowe, skinner, williams and the pack in general really, and it goes without saying that mike was immense.
not sure how ugo is still starting based on current form. I know he's important at re-starts and his defence is probably better tham sam's or seb's, but he offers next to nothing in attack. ugo's got the ball, what will he do, oh that's right, fall over. casson poor again after a better showing last week. however, having read the telegraph article saying that pretty much everything we do revolves around the 12 then maybe I'm being a bit harsh and he's having to take on more than I realised. still think he makes too many errors and he's been around the first team for a while now. nice kick for mike's tmo referral but actually think the pass would hve been better option.
poor game by danny, though karl didn't noticeably improve matters. average game from Nev too, whose kicking seems to have suffered a bit of late
We need to stop gifting sides early leads but at least it shows that we don't panic and stick to the game plan. Very pleased with the win in hard conditions. i think we're missing jth's go forward and we could have done with mo or guest too, as skinner and luke are a bit too similar, albeit both fantastic.
that rolling maul was a thing of beauty. easter's charge down the wing and tom's diving/sliding mark were also champagne moments
Assuming mike is away next week I'd probably keep ugo in for his experience with ross at 15 but unless he sorts out his act soon then I think sam or seb should get a look in. perhaps some studs might help. I assume jth will be released now that flood and tuilagi are back and I'd like to see him come into the team against glaws.
good work from marler too. was a bit surprised he got motm, thought it would go to easter, but I haven't watched the full recording of the match yet, so maybe he did more than I noticed
Watched benjamin's try on the recording - pundits seemed to be split on whether it was double movement or not. Certainly looked it to me
Quote:T-Bone
Also, I thought rose was very fussy, but maybe just more erros than usual due to slippery ball and lack of grip underfoot, but glad he had the courage to not only award the penalty try but also to sin bin the player. far too often you see a ref correctly consider the yellow card then relent when the attacking team score a try/he awards a penalty try
Watched benjamin's try on the recording - pundits seemed to be split on whether it was double movement or not. Certainly looked it to me
Whew....I thought I was alone in thinking Benjamin's try looked like a double movement. I saw it on the TV in the bar at half time and said to the 2 blokes next to me "That was a double movement wasn't it? " I won't mention the reply.........turns out they were Worcester fans with no Worcester paraphernalia on! We parted as friends! One of them had the grace to say he thought it looked like a double movement too.
Thats rugby for you, I am plaesed to say.
(Besides, the pass to Benjamin was forward anyway....)
