Harlequins v Northampton - Zurich Report

By Smurf
November 9 2003

So, that's two match reports, two crummy games. Before today, I had written about the Saints first visit to Adams Park, a dire affair which the Saints lost 16 - 9, after I had spent forty minutes trying to find the one sign pointing to Wycombe bus station.

However, I had high hopes for this match, after the cracking performance at the Stoop in May
Right then, you all know the result by now - all those wonderful predictions of glorious victories against the Barbour jackets have
been dashed. The team simply weren't playing to their potential.

Even though late changes meant a start for the exiting bound half back pairing of Robinson and Drahm, with Reihana taking Hyndman's place and Miles replacing Richmond (sources indicate
this was de to being late for the coach), the team that played so well at Gloucester was only two men different - Richmond over Miles and Tucker over Leslie.

It may have been fate, but sitting there, freezingcold, in a rickety South Stand, the game looked bad right from the start. When Burke's first kick looked at first wide, then short, only to bounce over off the crossbar, the
Saints were in trouble.

Sloppy defending let Ugo Monye in a few minutes later,a cross field kick to the wing - where have we seen that before?

I don't know whether it was the citing hearing hangingover the squad, or whether they had become complacent after victory
against Gloucester last week, but passes were awry, tackles missed, kicks wrong (how Drahm missed the penalty in the second half I don't know).

Strange parallels can be drawn with the Glaws game - home team having all the decisions in the first half, racking up close to thirty points, then a home player off - OK, it was
only Tony Diprose visiting the ten minute breath
catcher for a deliberate knock on. It even looked hopeful when Rob Hunter, playing exceptional rugby in recent times, finally powered through the Quins defence for a try. With Drahm's conversion, it was Quins 28 - 7 Saints at half time.

As the second half began, Saints fans were hopeful of a comeback - after all, Quins were a man down for the next six minutes.
However, it wasn't to be, with Quins extending thelead through a well worked try for Simon Keogh.

Saints general ball handling abilities were again sloppy, missed passes and poor decision making meaning Quins had plenty ofturnover ball. Of course, it was really all the ref's fault ;)

Late tries from Andy Blowers (who would have got two if he had slightly longer arms, stretching for the line and knocking on), and Grant Seely made the score slightly more respectable - FT was 43 - 21.

Nothing can be taken away from Quins, who played superb rugby and scored some superb tries.
Burke's kicking was almost faultless, both out of hand and at goal. Ugo Monye didn't get as much ball as he needed to show off his flair, and the Quins forwards were, as ever,strong around the park.

Hopefully the early return of Tom Smith to the Saints fold will bolster the pack for Bath, whether he plays or not. The nasty injury to Chris Hyndman leaves saints a bit deficient
in the centres - especially if Drahm and Robinson are banned, we will have to play a back line something like:

Howard Brooks
Ripol Leslie Reihana Sleightholme
Beal

Bench: Clarke, Russell, plus an academy player

All in all, a very dissapointing display from the
Saints, countered by some very good rugby from Quins.