By AlanQuin
August 14 2006

The sound of booing, loud and derisive, is rarely heard on a rugby ground. That sound was the single most unforgettable event in Harlequins second pre-season match at Issoire. That it should have been a French crowd expressing their views of the referee who had just awarded a penalty try against the hated English was even more unusual. In the result that score made the difference as Harlequins lost by 19 – 13.

With a starting line-up which must be near the strongest they can field, the small group of Quins supporters were clearly excited at the prospect. Before the game Dean Richards expressed the view that he expected it to be harder for Quins than the previous match because Bourgoin were a more physical pack and in Milloud they had probably the best tight-head in the world. But the Quins pack, in the event, gave as good as they got and were neither outclassed nor out-played.

From the start Harlequins obviously wanted to run the ball with Care sparking the attack from early possession with quick short passing in which Harder, Abbott, Care, Easter and Volley were involved until stopped by the whistle for offside. The whistle, shrill and frequently blown for reasons neither obvious nor justified led to a large number of penalties throughout the match.

Eventually good pressure earned better possession and Quins began to play the game in the Bourgoin half until after 15 minutes a penalty for a hand in the ruck led to a warning by the referee to Simon Miall and the resulting kick brought the French team a line-out on the Quins twenty-two metre line but the throw was not straight and danger was averted. Then a penalty to Quins was immediately reversed, Fuga allegedly saying something to which the official took exception, and Bourgoin opened the scoring with a successful penalty kicked from 32 metres after 18 minutes. 3 – 0.

A trademark break by Abbott supported by the lively Danny Care produced an excellent running attack which ended with Keogh stopped some ten metres out by good defending. Further progress was halted by a penalty for crossing. A minute or two later another yellow card marked the departure of another Quins’ lock, Kohn, for allegedly pulling the jumper down in the air. A blood injury to Keogh saw Spanghero come on as the substitute!

Another fine sweeping attack by the Quins backs just could not get across the line despite a penalty and an attacking line-out. A second lineout saw Care burrow across in the corner for the try. Mehrtens kick from the touch line went through off the further post. 3 – 7 after 33 minutes.

The try clearly stung the |French and they redoubled their efforts and earned a penalty on the 5-metre line on the right hand side. They chose to kick to touch and from the line-out Quins had to work very hard to stop the catch and drive. Another penalty to Bourgoin was again kicked to touch. The resulting line-out gave another yellow card for a Harlequin lock when Simon Miall was binned. For the penalty Bourgoin sought to attack by calling a scrum against the reduced Quins’ pack. The first attempt needed the scrum reset. The reset scrum went down on engagement and the referee awarded the derided penalty try. How it could be said that a probable try was prevented by that collapse was beyond the comprehension of everyone who saw the match, but the score was 10 – 7 and the half ended.

The second half brought the usual flood of replacements. Kohn was replaced by Spanghero. After 3 minutes a Quins attack saw Bourgoin adjudged offside and Mehrtens took the simple kick in front of the posts to level the scores. Quins continued to try to move the ball about and were only saved from their own mistakes by being awarded a penalty for offside. They benefited, too, from their opponent’s lack of discipline when their centre was yellow carded for a blatant head-butt in a ruck, normally a clear red card offence!

A series of further replacements saw Hala’Ufia, Richards, Ward and Monye replace Sherriff, Fuga, Ross and Harder. Quins were not conceding territory or possession in the forward battle. A clever kick was almost collected by Monye for a score but he knocked on. A long kick ahead by the French was just hustled away by Keogh and Brown and further pressure was resisted until a penalty for an offence in the ruck saw the home team take the easy three points on offer and lead as the third quarter ended by 13 – 10.

An error at the restart saw the ball out on the full and Bourgoin had the put in at a scrum on the centre spot. But Quins had a penalty from the scrum and Mehrtens placed the kick deep into the twenty-two. In the line-out which followed Bourgoin were penalised and Mehrtens kick levelled the score at 13 – 13.

Play went back and forth in mid-field with Quins anxious to run and their opponents likewise with both defences resisting strongly with intelligent clearing of dangerous moves. Abbott and Luscombe were both prominent in good breaks and the centre pairing promises well. Then with ten minutes remaining a penalty for Bourgoin was kicked from 37 metres to give them the lead and finally a drop goal from fully 40 metres increased the lead to 19 – 13 and left Quins to look for another try for the win. In the four minutes remaining that task was beyond them.

So Quins return from France empty-handed but having made good progress in melding together the team. Most of the new signings have played well and the two centres in particular have provided needed penetration. Volley is a vocal skipper, clearly in control and providing definite guidance and is a fine successor to Andre Vos. Spanghero will give the pack that ball carrying power that Garrick Morgan used to give at his best and the front row is not at all bad.

Dean Richards expressed the view that he would be happy to come back next year but that there ought not to be three French Teams. It ought to be another foreign team such as Munster. It had been a valuable trip. Head Coach Andy Friend though that most of the issues raised by the first match had been addressed and sorted but they had lost their way in the last twenty minutes.