By AlanQuin
January 14 2007

Harlequins first competitive foray into foreign parts for two years ended with success as they defeated Montpellier by 27 – 37 at the Stade Sabathe. 

They only did so with the aid of some appallingly bad refereeing decisions, one of which allowed them to score the decisive final try, when they should have been facing a penalty kick which would have resulted, if successful, in a drawn match.

To have any chance of proceeding further in this competition, Quins needed a four-try win to obtain a bonus point.  They started with obvious determination to achieve that result and went on the attack from the start.  The pressure and speed of their attack from the kick off took them almost to the try-line in the first minute but the ball was turned over and cleared.  From the ensuing lineout Quins continued to press and were awarded a penalty just inside the Montpellier twenty-two which Adrian Jarvis kicked to put Quins into the lead after only three minutes.

Quins immediately went back on the attack.  A box kick from So’oialo was well caught by Monye and his pass to Duffy set the full back off on a strong run deep into the home side’s territory, but in the following phase`a knock-on conceded a scrum.  From the set piece Quins had a free kick and a tap and go led to a good break by So’oialo but Quins again conceded a penalty for going in off their feet at the breakdown.

Montpellier were now trying hard to fight back but they conceded a penalty about eight metres inside their own half and Jarvis’ kick slid wide of the left post. From the restart Monye made a good counter attacking run into the heart of the Montpellier defence and they were penalised for going offside.  This time, from rather nearer, Jarvis made no mistake and increased the Quins’ lead to 0 – 6 after ten minutes.  But that lasted only a minute or two as Quins too conceded a penalty from the restart and the Montpellier fly-half Trind’huc kicked successfully to reduce the lead again to 3 – 6.

It was Trind’huc who led the first real attack by the home side when he broke clear through the Quins’ defence only to lose his footing and allow the ball to be turned over.  The next Quins thrust was by Monye as the winger started rapidly down the wing but his attempted chip just swung into touch.   Although Montpellier began to show rather more attacking intent, play was virtually all in their half of the field.  Quins produced a rolling maul which took them a good twenty-five metres upfield and another attack from a tap penalty which ended in a knock-on.

Then as the half-hour approached a yellow card for the Montpellier winger, Kubik, allowed Jarvis to find a good touch and provided an attacking lineout on the five-metre line.  Quins catch and drive was irresistible with Aston Croall touching down for the first try.  Jarvis converted, giving Quins a lead of 3 – 13.

Montpellier were stung into some reaction to the score and they stole a lineout an began heavy pressure upon the Quins defence deep in the twenty-two.  The attack was repelled but then Quins were caught offside as a ball rebounded forward` to be caught by another retreating forward and Trind’huc reduced the arrears with another successful kick.

Quins produced another rolling maul and the referee produced another yellow card.  This time he sent the Montpellier hooker, Caudullo, to the bin for pulling down the maul.  However, despite a quick tap and go by So’oialo, no further score resulted before half-time when the score was 6 – 13.

Montpellier came out for the second half clearly determined to repel the English and for a few minutes play became a little frenetic and loose with the home side throwing themselves into attack despite still having only fourteen men.  Then a charged down kick saw the ball rebound behind the defence and Will Skinner raqn through to pick up and run to score under the posts.  The simple conversion by Jarvis increased the lead to 6 – 20 after five minutes of the second half.

A penalty against Quins for holding on in the tackle gained their opponents a good lineout position about fifteen metres from the Quins line and they kept up the attack forcing Quins to defend strongly through many phases until with a three man overlap on the left Boussuge cut through to score and Trind’huc kicked a fine conversion from wide out to reduce Quins’ lead to 13 – 20.

By now, Montpellier was back at full strength and seeking to step up the pace of the game.  It was Quins turn to lose a man to the sin-bin and it was Ugo Monye that went for an offence at a ruck after fifteen minutes of the second half.

Then an amazing jinking run from the half way line and ending in the left corner saw full-back, Sarramea, evade three or four would-be tacklers to score another try and with yet another fine touchline kick by Trind’huc the scores were level as the game moved into the last quarter.  Quins made their first substitutions with Care replacing So’oialo and Miall coming on for Evans.

Within a minute or two Quins had a scrum and from that Duffy counter-attacked and was able to pop the ball up to Jarvis, before whom the defence appeared to open obligingly as he touched down under the posts and added the two points for the easy conversion.  20 -27 and the return of Monye saw Quins back to full strength and further replacements followed.  Tani Fuga, David Strettle and Tom Guest replaced Richards, Williams and Easter.

Montpellier again threw everything into attack driving strongly round the fringes and Quins resisted valiantly until Montpellier were awarded the put-in at a scrum on the five metre line.  A good move round the blind side saw Kubik dive in at the corner.  Trind’huc, who missed nothing all night, again produced a fine touchline conversion to level the scores again at 27 – 27 with five minutes remaining.  In an attempt to snatch a victory, Montpellier threw on the remainder of their replacements led by Stoica.

Then a good catch and drive was followed by a fine break from David Strettle which almost reached the line. Instead, Quins had a penalty close in front of the posts and with Jarvis having been replaced, Gavin Duffy stepped up and slotted the score to give Quins a slender lead.  Injury time had been reached when the ball came out of a ruck loose on the Montpellier side.  Simon Miall picked up and ran for the posts with Settle in support and it was the latter that finished the run and score.

There were scenes of considerable anger from both the Montpellier players and the crowd.  There was haranguing of the referee and refusal to retreat behind the try-line.  Gavin Duffy who was trying to place the ball for the conversion was jostled and there was total disorder. Eventually, he was allowed to kick successfully to leave the final score at 27 -37.  There may have been some justification for anger at the decision to allow the try in as much as there was an offence in the ruck for which Quins might have been penalised allowing the home fly-half a final chance to level the score.  However, there can be no excuse for the behaviour of the players towards either the officials or Gavin Duffy.

The booing crowd gave a hot reception to the officials as they went down the tunnel with the stadium announcer leaning over into the tunnel and swearing at them as they disappeared.

Quins’ management was satisfied with the result but not with the way in which Montpellier were allowed to come back from what should have been a convincing win.  A win is a win and a bonus point still leaves a possibility of progressing depending on other results.

Teams:

Montpellier:
Olivier Sarraméa, Jacques Boussuge, Frédéric Charrier, Murphy Taele, Sébastien Kuzbik, Francois Trinh Duc, Julien Tomas, Philémon Toleafoa, Joan Caudullo, Nicolas Descamps, Mickaël Bert, Goncalo Uva, Jharay Russell (capt), Didier Chouchan, Louis Picamoles
Replacements: Nicolas Grelon, Clément Baïocco, Michel Macurdy, Cédric Mathieu, Harley Crane, David Aucagne, Alessandro Stoica

NEC Harlequins:
Gavin Duffy, Tom Williams, Hal Luscombe, Jordan Turner-Hall, Ugo Monye, Adrian Jarvis, Steven So'oialo, Aston Croall, Jimmy Richards, Mike Ross, Jim Evans, Nicolas Spanghero, Chris Hala'Ufia, Will Skinner, Nick Easter (capt)
Replacements: Tani Fuga, Ricky Nebbett, Simon Miall, Tom Guest, Danny Care, Mel Deane, David Strettle

Scores:

Montpellier: Tries: Olivier Sarraméa, Jacques Boussuge, Sébastien Kuzbik; Conversions: Francois Trinh Duc (3); Penalties: Francois Trinh Duc (2)

NEC Harlequins: Tries: Adrian Jarvis, Aston Croall, Will Skinner, David Strettle; Conversions: Adrian Jarvis (3), Gavin Duffy; Penalties: Adrian Jarvis (3)

Attendance: 4,200