Amateurs' Victory : A View From The Top

By Chris Kelly
April 3 2003

Harlequin Amateurs Manager Chris Kelly gives his own inimitable view of the recent win by the Amateurs that secured them promotion in the Herts/Middlesex League.

Harlequin Amateurs in their quest to win the league had their last chance, in a must win situation top of the league encounter with 2nd place Old Abbotsonians.

Old Abbots won the first game on Quins home soil 17-0. The top five placings in the league had only a couple of points difference between them -
which also meant that should we lose, there was no guarantee that we would even get into the play-off's. So a win it had to be.

Team selection was extremely difficult since we again had a long list of injuries in key positions. The robust Mark Hillier (Neck) was side lined as was Danial Comacho (AC joint) and James Williams (AC joint). Key positions to fill with little time ironically to prepare.

Needless to say Quins were up for this game where bodies on the line was the order of the day.
From the kick off, no quarter was given by either side for the first 35 minutes in a fiercely contested up-front, not a pretty spectacle, war of attrition. The forwards slugged it out for supremacy- end to end rucking and mauling ensued, with surprisingly no hand bagging!! There was to much to lose to deviate from the task in hand ! However, Old Abbotts spilled the ball and was for the first time swiftly hauled out to Ben (the boot) Wigley onto James Hayden (deputising for the injured Williams) out to Matt Jones playing at out side centre to score Quins first try out wide.

The kicking duties were given to No 8 Matt Stevens who had the length but not the distance, and was unconverted.

Harlequins ahead 5-0. The first score was always to be crucial. The Abbots were clearly knocked back by this, especially having put so much into their game thus far, and were beginning to blow a bit. Quins skipper Andy Robinson rallied the boy's to give that extra bit more, it was no time to sit back.

From the restart Quins asserted still more pressure with fine work from the half backs of Matthew Pead and Ben Wigley as had been the case from the start of the game, tactically kicking the ball well into good open spaces and pushing the Abbots back at every chance. It was Wigley who slotted a long penetrative kick well into their half of the pitch for Kwasi Appah to chase. All the Abbots could do was to go for touch. From just outside the Abbots 22 Quins won the line out when Matt Stevens scored Quins 2nd try but failed to convert his own try Matt Stevens also failed to convert off the pitch as well, should have known better).

Five minutes later the half time whistle went. Harlequins 10 - Old Abbotsonian 0.

The support Quins had on the touch line from the injured Williams, Hillier, Camacho, Will Tapley, Paul Jensen and the ever present physios Eugene, Angie and Press Officer Donna-Marie along with other players was great to see and hear. The well-wishes received before the game from other Quins supporters were also very appreciated.

The forward battle was definitely in Quins favour. The so solid front row crew of Tom Cooper, John Fairweather (deputising for Hillier) and Andrew Lawrence saw to that, aided by work horse like approach of Ed Sterck and Benn Richards.

The back row boys of Andy Robinson, Billy Katiyo and Matt Stevens were to say the least crucial - they dished out the manure in just sheer hard graft and sought to counter attack at every opportunity always abolishing any attempt by the opposition to even draw breath.

From the restart of the second half it was game on. The Abbots running on their 2nd wind took it to us. Whilst the backs by comparison had had a quiet game so far, it was their turn to add a few definitive touches. Especially by Wigley who had stamped his authority on the game earlier but his kicking boot elevated the relentless defensive tactics of the forwards to keep the opposition at bay, with the rest of the 3/4 of Philippe Ah-Sun and Dave Francis running the ball back from deep, cutting holes in the Abbots defence.

It was just rewards for skipper Andy Robinson to pick up a loose ball from an Abbots spill to score Quins third try of the day. This was converted by Stevens, (well there you go!!) Quins were now leading 17 -0 with about 20 minutes to go.

From the restart it was the Abbots who took the game to Quins in a desperate attempt to prevent the game running away from them. Reminiscent of watching a James Cagney film, having been shot 17 times he just didn't lie down and die. Quins substituted Fairweather who had worked tirelessly for Stuart Houghton at hooker and John Lawrence came on for the rampaging Andy Lawrence - no relation - who had torn a calf muscle (shirt!). Pead also was substituted for the ever patient Russell Wiggington.

So close did the Abbots eventually get to the Quins try line after a succession of ruck and mauls that from just five yards out they spilled the ball, only for the dancing Billy Katiyo to pick it up and wheedle his way through many an Abbot. That was when the hand bags eventually came out, the luckless John Lawrence sparring with his opposite number, swinging punches at each other with at least a field of dreams between them. Both were awarded the yellow card, plus a couple of others were hinted at. Game resumed after a short cooling off period for the whistle to go 3 minutes later.

Harlequins the Victors and guaranteed promotion. Job Done.