By Frank Stormont
June 2 2006

Last game of the season and the last chance to see some of the players, but which ones will not be back next season is still a subject for rumour and speculation.

With a sell out crowd that was announced as 12,301.  I think this was not correct as there were a number of seats still vacant for Huddersfield Giants fans who had not arrived yet and season ticket holders who missed a good game. When you want a record attendance does it matter how many were actually there it was certainly 10,000 plus. Due to the traffic congestion outside the ground caused the match was delayed by 10 minutes.

The seats allocated to the Albion fans were right in the corner of the pitch in the temporary uncovered south stand, probably the worst seats in the house apart from the fact the Albion players must have realised the fans predicament for Martin Rice to score right in front of them and Mat almost scored. Albion did not come onto the pitch before the match to warm up and get accustomed to the wind conditions which was blowing across the pitch, were they not allowed?? The match however was lost whilst we were a man down for two ten minute periods and Quins added 21 points.

With two penalties awarded for crossing in the first five minutes it became important to understand how the ref was playing the game.  Quins seemed to pick this up quicker and gained the advantage from it. With handling errors however Quins were unable to take advantage of early penalties.  Ten minutes in a penalty for holding on by Albion was converted to give Quins the lead 3-0. 

For a period of 7 minutes Matias Albina helped out on the pitch whilst Nigel Cane was having his head bandaged.  Mat kept up the pressure and a run down the right hand touch line towards the block of Albion fans was just not fast enough to result in any points. After the blood replacement was reversed a driving maul towards the Albion fans when the ball was almost stolen by Quins but Martin Rice managed to score and bring us the lead. Ed Barnes was unable to convert with the ball going high but just wide.

From Albion pulling down at the lineout gave the opportunity for Quins to retake the lead for which they did not need to be asked twice and Andrew Mehrtens slotted the ball between the posts. Albion bounced back and when Quins were penalised for use of the feet at a ruck on their 22 Ed Barnes made easy work of the 3 points.

Just  35 minutes into the game Luke Arscott kicked his last kick and came off for the last time to be replaced by Jon Fabian, Luke had not been kicking any distance when going for touch which  may well have been due to the wind. Luke joined Albion back in 2003, played in every game this season scoring 10 tries. Luke moves to Bristol and the premiership next season and we wish him all the best. 

Quins decided that they wanted another try before half time with constant pressure well inside the Albion 22 until  scrum half Steve So'oialo scored a try for Andrew Mehrtens to convert. With the instant replay on the big screen you saw Steve run into the ref blocking an Albion tackle before putting the ball down between the posts.

With a half time score of 13 points to 8 both sides went in with positive attitudes and all results possible.  Just two minutes into the second half however the ref was called back to an infringement at the lineout and Nic Rouse was sin binned for pulling down at the lineout. Albion held the disadvantage of being a man down for nearly 7 minutes before a quickly taken penalty gave Quins a converted try and nearly twelve minutes into his sin binning when Nic had been waiting on the touchline to be allowed back onto the pitch Quins added another converted try.

With twenty odd minutes to go Chris Lorie came on for Nic Rouse and was fully part of the pack with his style of the game.  Soon after with a break from Ed Barnes Albion were awarded a penalty try when Mike Brown deliberately knocked on.

27 - 13 down and things looked tough, but not impossible, until Albion were a man down again when Danny Thomas was sin binned for a high tackle. A reshuffle of the Albion backs with Nat Saumi and Matias Albina coming on for Nic Sestaret and Nigel Cane was not able to counter the extra man when replacement Pablo Bouza was on the end of the line and went round the back to score.

On 37 minutes Ben Rowntree stepped onto the pitch for the first time for Albion as he replaced Tom Hayes. Ben has played 17 matches for Westcountry Warriors and scored two tries and at 24 years and 2 weeks became the 33rd and final player to represent Albion this season.

Quins waited until the 80th minute of the match to score their 1000 point in NL1 with a try from Tom Williams caught the ball and touched down inches short of the dead ball line. The try was not converted but did anyone care, Quins had won, scored a 1001 points in NL1 and returned from whence they came to the Premiership far better for their short stay.

How many times this season has a game been won or lost in a twenty minute period?  This time we lost the game not because we did not play well for twenty minutes, but because we could not hold the disadvantage of being a man down and let in three tries during that time. Without these three tries the score would have been 23-15 as we entered time added on and just maybe it would have gone the other way. Not taking anything away from Quins as they played well and seemed to read the referee better than Albion.

A Fantastic match to end the season and to think what could be when we get enough points to move to a higher level and join the premiership. The lasting memory was for me a young boy around seven years old with a wide smile wearing Matias Albina's warm up red T shirt that had been blagged by his dad.

 

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